Mutations in the BRCA2 (breast cancer susceptibility gene 2) tumor suppressor lead to chromosomal instability due to defects in the repair of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination, but BRCA2's role in this process has been unclear. Here, we present the 3.1 angstrom crystal structure of a approximately 90-kilodalton BRCA2 domain bound to DSS1, which reveals three oligonucle...

Mammary tumors are the most common tumor type in women as well as in female dogs. The BRCA2 gene encodes a large nuclear protein that is involved in DNA repair, and mutations in the human BRCA2 confer an increased risk of female mammary tumors. The BRCA2 protein acts as a tumor suppressor, and inactivation of BRCA2 by loss of heterozygosity is implicated in mammary carcinogenesis. In this study...

PURPOSE DNA repair defects due to detrimental BRCA2-mutations confer increased susceptibility towards DNA interstrand-crosslinking (ICL) agents and define patient subpopulations for individualized genotype-based cancer therapy. However, due to the side effects of these drugs, there is a need to identify additional agents, which could be used alone or in combination with ICL-agents. Therefore, w...

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is an inherited condition characterised by congenital and developmental abnormalities and a strong cancer predisposition. In around 3-5% of cases FA is caused by biallelic mutations in the BRCA2 gene. Individuals heterozygous for BRCA2 mutations have an increased risk of inherited breast and ovarian cancer. We reviewed the mutation spectrum in BRCA2-associated FA, and the s...

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women world wide. Approximately 1 in 10 women will develop breast cancer during their life time and 5-10% of all breast cancers, in particular those with an early age of onset, are the result of a genetic predisposition owing to the inheritance of a dominant susceptibility gene(s). In the context of high risk families, one important gene is ...

The breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 has recently been identified as identical to the Fanconi anemia (FA) gene FANCD1. Here we expand the clinical implications of this discovery. Notably, we identified 6 children in 5 kindreds exhibiting the co-occurrence of BRCA2 mutations, FA, and early onset acute leukemia. Leukemia occurred at a median of 2.2 years of age in the BRCA2 patients in con...

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women world wide. Approximately 1 in 10 women will develop breast cancer during their life time and 5-10% of all breast cancers, in particular those with an early age of onset, are the result of a genetic predisposition owing to the inheritance of a dominant susceptibility gene(s). In the context of high risk families, one important gene is ...

The breast cancer predisposition gene BRCA2 encodes a protein involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks, which arise spontaneously and following exposure to ionizing radiation (IR). To develop a mouse model that examines the effect of BRCA2 mutation and IR exposure on in vivo somatic mutation acquisition, we crossed mice with targeted disruption of Brca2 with a LacZ transgenic mutation...

To identify key connections between DNA-damage repair and checkpoint pathways, we performed RNA interference screens for regulators of the ionizing radiation-induced G2 checkpoint, and we identified the breast cancer gene BRCA2. The checkpoint was also abrogated following depletion of PALB2, an interaction partner of BRCA2. BRCA2 and PALB2 depletion led to premature checkpoint abrogation and ea...

2. THE BREAST CANCER SUSCEPTIBILITY GENE 1 (BRCA1) ………………………….. 10 2.1 The BRCA1 gene is large with two distinct promoters 2.2 The BRCA1 protein is nuclear and has several functional domains 2.3 BRCA1 expression 2.4 Pathological variants of the BRCA1 gene 2.4.1 There is a wide spectrum of BRCA1 germline mutations 2.4.2 Germline mutations are found at a high frequency in families with multiple a...