The Poly ADP-ribose polymerase family is a series of enzymes, where the best characterised members are nuclear proteins which are thought to function by binding to single strand breaks in DNA, allowing the recruitment of repair enzymes by the synthesis of NAD-derived ADP-ribose polymers, which are subsequently degraded by a glycohydrolase (PARG, Q86W56).

* Key recommended reading is highlighted with an asterisk

* Bürkle A, Virág L. (2013) Poly(ADP-ribose): PARadigms and PARadoxes. Mol. Aspects Med., 34 (6): 1046-65. [PMID:23290998]

Cavone L, Chiarugi A. (2012) Targeting poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 as a promising approach for immunomodulation in multiple sclerosis?. Trends Mol Med, 18 (2): 92-100. [PMID:22078487]

* De Vos M, Schreiber V, Dantzer F. (2012) The diverse roles and clinical relevance of PARPs in DNA damage repair: current state of the art. Biochem. Pharmacol., 84 (2): 137-46. [PMID:22469522]

Ekblad T, Camaioni E, Schüler H, Macchiarulo A. (2013) PARP inhibitors: polypharmacology versus selective inhibition. FEBS J., 280 (15): 3563-75. [PMID:23601167]

Gibson BA, Kraus WL. (2012) New insights into the molecular and cellular functions of poly(ADP-ribose) and PARPs. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol., 13 (7): 411-24. [PMID:22713970]

* Lord CJ, Ashworth A. (2012) The DNA damage response and cancer therapy. Nature, 481 (7381): 287-94. [PMID:22258607]

Lupo B, Trusolino L. (2014) Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in cancer: old and new paradigms revisited. Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1846 (1): 201-15. [PMID:25026313]

Michels J, Obrist F, Castedo M, Vitale I, Kroemer G. (2014) PARP and other prospective targets for poisoning cancer cell metabolism. Biochem. Pharmacol., 92 (1): 164-71. [PMID:25199458]

Pines A, Mullenders LH, van Attikum H, Luijsterburg MS. (2013) Touching base with PARPs: moonlighting in the repair of UV lesions and double-strand breaks. Trends Biochem. Sci., 38 (6): 321-30. [PMID:23562323]

Riffell JL, Lord CJ, Ashworth A. (2012) Tankyrase-targeted therapeutics: expanding opportunities in the PARP family. Nat Rev Drug Discov, 11 (12): 923-36. [PMID:23197039]

* Sonnenblick A, de Azambuja E, Azim Jr HA, Piccart M. (2015) An update on PARP inhibitors--moving to the adjuvant setting. Nat Rev Clin Oncol, 12 (1): 27-41. [PMID:25286972]

Szántó M, Brunyánszki A, Kiss B, Nagy L, Gergely P, Virág L, Bai P. (2012) Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-2: emerging transcriptional roles of a DNA-repair protein. Cell. Mol. Life Sci., 69 (24): 4079-92. [PMID:22581363]

1. Skalitzky DJ, Marakovits JT, Maegley KA, Ekker A, Yu XH, Hostomsky Z, Webber SE, Eastman BW, Almassy R, Li J et al.. (2003) Tricyclic benzimidazoles as potent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitors. J. Med. Chem., 46 (2): 210-3. [PMID:12519059]