Studies have showed that dysfunction in the breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) is associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); however, its effect on patient survival remains controversial. We investigated the distribution of BRCA1/2 mutations in unselected Chinese patients with TNBC and explored their roles in prognosis. Then a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed ...

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are prominently associated with inherited breast and ovarian cancer. The encoded proteins function in DNA damage responses, but no functional link between BRCA1 and BRCA2 has been established. We show here that PALB2 physically and functionally connects BRCA1 and BRCA2 into a DNA damage response network that also includes the RAD51 recombinase. PALB2 directly binds BRCA1, as det...

BRCA1 localizes to discrete nuclear foci (dots) during S phase. Hydroxyurea-mediated DNA synthesis arrest of S phase MCF7 cells led to a loss of BRCA1 from these structures. Ultraviolet light, mitomycin C, or gamma irradiation produced a similar effect but with no concurrent arrest of DNA synthesis. BARD1 and Rad51, two proteins associated with the BRCA1 dots, behaved similarly. Loss of the BRC...

DNA double-strand breaks can be repaired by non-homologous end-joining or homologous recombination. Which pathway is used depends on the balance between tumor suppressors 53BP1 and BRCA1 availability of an undamaged template for homology-directed repair. How cells switch from a 53BP1-dominated to BRCA1-governed recombination response as they progress through cell cycle incompletely understood. ...

............................................................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................11 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................................................................13 1 General features of ova...

Apoptosis is implemented by death machinery that involves the caspase family of proteins, under the condition of a variety of stresses. Previous studies have shown that mouse embryonic stem cells deficient for caspase-3 are resistant to UV-induced apoptosis and that the active form of caspase-3 translocates to the nucleus. It has also been shown that the breast cancer tumor suppressor, BRCA1, i...

The pathway determining malignant cellular transformation, which depends upon mutation of the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene, is poorly defined. A growing body of evidence suggests that promotion of DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination (HR) may be the means by which BRCA1 maintains genomic stability, while a role of BRCA1 in error-prone nonhomologous recombination (NHR) proce...

The mRNA polyadenylation factor CstF interacts with the BRCA1-associated protein BARD1, and this interaction represses the nuclear mRNA polyadenylation machinery in vitro. Given the suspected role of BRCA1/BARD1 in DNA repair, we tested whether inhibition of mRNA processing is linked to DNA damage. Strikingly, we found that 3' cleavage in extracts from cells treated with hydroxyurea or ultravio...

Mutations within BRCA1 predispose carriers to a high risk of breast and ovarian cancers. BRCA1 functions to maintain genomic stability through the assembly of multiple protein complexes involved in DNA repair, cell-cycle arrest, and transcriptional regulation. Here, we report the identification of a DNA damage-induced BRCA1 protein complex containing BCLAF1 and other key components of the mRNA-...

BACKGROUND Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with family predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer. Novel screening methods are required for efficient and rapid detection of sequence variants in cancer patients and their family members. METHODS The screening for variants in the breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Croatia was performed by a high-...