DNA strands show symmetry in damage tolerance but asymmetries in repair efficiency

Nature, Published online: 07 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02561-9

The two strands of DNA, although chemically equivalent, are replicated and repaired asymmetrically. Insights into the persistence of DNA damage show how strand-specific interactions shape the genome-wide distribution of mutations, including the unexpected symmetry of mutations arising in the DNA strands during replication.