Protein artemis (DCLRE1C)

V(D)J recombination is initiated by the lymphoid specific RAG endonuclease complex, which creates site specific DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). These DSBs present two types of DNA end structures: hairpin sealed coding ends and phosphorylated blunt signal ends.

These endings are independently repaired by the non homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway to form coding and signal joints . This protein exhibits single-strand specific 5'-3' exonuclease activity in isolation and accelerates endonucleolytic activity on 5' and 3' hairpins and overhangs when in a complicated with PRKDC.