More specifically, when the ku70/80 complex is transcriptionally repressed in U. maydis (e.g., in the ku70nar1 mutant), telomeres become highly aberrant and manifest a collection of abnormalities that resemble those in ALT cancer cells, including telomere length heterogeneity, ssDNA on the C-strand, and high levels of C-circles17,19. The gene discussed is XRCC6; the disease is cancer.