gamma H2AX

Our genome experiences a moderate amount of DNA damage in our cells on a daily basis.  This DNA damage can be in response to external environmental factors, or be a result of our internal metabolic processes going awry.  While normal rates of DNA damage are not an immense threat to our cell processes, DNA damage in critical genes can lead to a variety of disease, including cancer and tumor formation.   After induction of DNA damage (for example, in the form of double strand breaks), phosphorylation and recruitment of the H2AX protein occurs.  This phosphorylation produces gamma H2AX