The Werner syndrome protein at the crossroads of DNA repair and apoptosis

Werner syndrome (WS) is a premature aging disease characterized by genetic instability. WS is caused by mutations in a gene encoding for a 160 kDa nuclear protein, the Werner syndrome protein (WRN), which has exonuclease and helicase activities. The mechanism whereby WRN controls genome stability and life span is not known. Over the last few years, WRN has become the focus of intense investigation by a growing number of scientists. The studies carried out by many laboratories have provided a wealth of new information about the functional properties of WRN and its cellular partners. This review focuses on recent findings that demonstrate a functional interaction between WRN and two factors that bind to DNA breaks, Ku and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1, and discuss how these interactions can influence fundamental cellular processes such as DNA repair, apoptosis and possibly regulate cell senescence and organismal aging.