postreplication repair

Postreplication repair is a cellular mechanism that maintains the integrity of the genetic code when DNA replication is blocked by damage. This process occurs downstream of the actual lesion. Since replication halts at the damaged site, short DNA segments called Okazaki fragments are synthesized. The resulting gap is then filled through recombination repair, which utilizes the sequence from an undamaged sister chromosome to fix the damaged one. Alternatively, an error-prone repair mechanism can be used, which employs the damaged strand as a template, though this method is less accurate and prone to mutations. This repair system is crucial for cell survival and the accurate inheritance of genetic information.1