Interference-dependent crossing over in yeast and mammalian meioses involves the mismatch repair protein homologs MSH4-MSH5 and MLH1-MLH3. The MLH3 protein contains a highly conserved metal-binding motif DQHA(X)(2)E(X)(4)E that is found in a subset of MLH proteins predicted to have endonuclease activities (Kadyrov et al. 2006). Mutations within this motif in human PMS2 and Saccharomyces cerevis...

BACKGROUND The DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway is an important post-replicative repair process. It is involved in the maintenance of genomic stability and MMR genes have therefore been named the proofreaders of replicating DNA. These genes repair the replicative errors of DNA and are thus imperative for genomic stability. The MMR genes have been found to be involved in promoting cytotoxicity,...

Advances in the molecular biology of colorectal cancer (CRC) broadened our understanding of this disease, but also provided insight into the pathogenesis of sporadic and inherited CRC. Mutations of APC gene are responsible for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), but mutations in six mismatch repair (MMR) genes: MSH2, MLH1, PMS1, PMS2, MSH6 and MSH3 for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal canc...

Alterations of DNA mismatch repair genes, primarily demonstrated in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinomas, were reported to be of relevance for the progression of several sporadic tumours. In this study, the expression and mutations of MLH1, MSH2, PMS1 and PMS2 in a panel of thyroid tumours, including nodular hyperplasia, follicular adenomas and carcinomas, were investigated. The expres...

wnloaded mismatch repair (MMR) pathway is involved in the removal of DNA base mismatches that arise during DNA replication or are caused by DNA damage. Mutations in four genes involved in MMR, , MLH1, PMS2 and MSH6, predispose to a range of tumorigenic conditions, including hereditary lyposis colon cancer, also known as Lynch syndrome. Here we discuss the canonical MMR pathway e burgeoning evid...