DNA-topoisomerase modification

The first reports of topoisomerase modification were published in 1982 and 1983 (Mills et al. 1982; Durban et al. 1983; Ferro et al. 1983; Jongstra-Bilen et al. 1983). Although a wide variety of posttranslational modifications of DNA topoisomerases may occur, this chapter focuses only on phosphorylation and poly(ADP-ribosylation), which have been observed both in vitro and in vivo. The experimental data suggest a regulatory role, but the precise cellular functions of these DNA topoisomerase modifications remain undefined at the present time.