DNA repair proteins are necessary for the maintenance of chromosome integrity and are involved in the elimination of premutagenic lesions from DNA. The DNA repair proteins Rad51 and Rad52 are key components of the double-strand-break repair (DSBR) pathway. Rad51 is essential for mitotic and meiotic recombination, and its mutation in yeast and mammalian cells results in chromosome loss. Overexpression of Rad52 confers resistance to ionizing radiation and induces homologous intrachromosomal recombination. Rad52 is thought to be involved in an early stage of Rad51-mediated recombination. Additional proteins involved in the pathway include Dmc1 and nibrin. Dmc1 is specifically involved in meiotic recombination. Nibrin, which complexes with Mre11 and Rad50, is absent in Nijemegen breakage syndrome (NBS) patients.