乳腺癌与卵巢癌易感基因BRCA1和BRCA2

BRCA1和BRCA2是近年来发现的遗传性乳腺癌和卵巢癌易感基因,分别位于第17号和第13号染色体上。目前所知,两者与细胞周期调控、胚胎生 长发育、DNA损伤修复和转录调控等生命活动有关。随着BRCA1和BRCA2研究的不断深入和其确切生物学功能的阐明,将在临床上帮助早期诊断和有效治疗乳腺癌和卵巢癌患者。     

Centrobin与BRCA2蛋白间相互作用及其细胞定位

为分析乳腺癌易感基因2（breast cancer susceptibility gene 2, BRCA2）蛋白与中心体BRCA2相互作用蛋白（centromal BRCA2 interacting protein, centrobin）间相互作用及其细胞定位的关系,探讨二者功能上的联系,本研究采用哺乳细胞双杂交实验检测体内结合并初步判定BRCA2分子上的结合区域;免疫共沉淀实验进一步验证其体内结合活性,GST-pulldown法检测其体外结合活性,免疫组织化学染色观测BRCA2蛋白的细胞定位及在有丝分裂各期centrobin的细胞定位.结果显示,BRCA2与centrobin间存在体内和体外结合,且BRCA2分子的结合区域主要位于2　393～2　952氨基酸残基处;外源表达BRCA2定位于中心体,在有丝分裂各时相centrobin均定位于中心体. BRCA2与centrobin在体内形成复合物,并存在直接物理结合作用,二者存在细胞空间定位的一致性.该结果为进一步研究BRCA2在中心体复制中的调控作用提供了线索.     

BRCA1蛋白参与DNA双链损伤应答

BRCA1是乳腺癌易感基因,负责维持细胞基因组的稳定性,防止调控细胞增殖和肿瘤生长的基因突变的积累。BRCA1基因蛋白产物结构复杂,功能多样,是细胞内重要的多功能蛋白,参与执行多种生理代谢过程。本主要探讨了BRCA1蛋白应答DNA双链损伤过程中所伴随的一系列信号传导的历程,阐述了连续的生理生化反应中BRCA1蛋白所发挥的作用。     

BRCA1蛋白的序列及空间结构的分析

查询人的BRCA1蛋白的氨基酸序列,利用生物信息学的方法进行相似性搜索,获得一系列BRCA1蛋白的氨基酸序列。选择了其中的11条序列,对BRCA1蛋白进行了多重序列分析和进化分析,对BRCA1蛋白的BRCT结构域进行三维同源模型的构建与比较分析。分析结果表明:BRCA1中某些特定部位的氨基酸序列高度保守;确定氨基酸的保守位点并联合进化分析可对基因错义突变的致病性做初步地猜测;相近物种来源的BRCA1具有较近的亲缘关系,而且具有极其相似的三维空间结构。这些为研究BRCA1蛋白的结构与功能关系提供指导意义。     

BRCA1和BRCA2与DNA损伤修复及转录调控

乳腺癌和卵巢癌敏感基因BRCA1和BRCA2与同源重组,DNA损伤修复,胚胎生长,转录调控及遍在蛋白化有关,其中,BRCA1和BRCA2在DNA损伤修复和转录调控中功能的确定,将有助于探讨和阐明两者的肿瘤抑制功能及其机理,作者将综述近年来有关BRCA1和BRCA2在DNA损伤修复和转录调控中功能研究的最新进展。     

BRCA相关乳腺癌概述及在中国人群中的研究进展

乳腺癌是中国女性中最常见的癌症,其中乳腺癌易感基因BRCA的突变是引发乳腺癌的重要因素。对中国人群BRCA突变特点及相关乳腺癌特征进行研究归纳,并进一步建立相应的检测和治疗标准,有利于乳腺癌的防治。该文对BRCA突变相关乳腺癌特点及其在中国人群中的研究进展进行了综述,希望能为中国乳腺癌的研究与治疗提供一些依据。     

肿瘤易感基因BRCA1

ＢＲＣＡ１为一新的肿瘤易感基因,定位在１７ｑ２１,其ｃＤＮＡ可转录７．８ｋｂｍＲＮＡ,编码含１８６３个氨基酸残基的长多态,在遣传性乳腺卵巢癌中有高频率的ＢＲＣＡ１基因杂合性丢失,同时有多形式多位点的基因突变,符合肿瘤抑制基因特点。     

卵巢癌中HMGB1、BRCA1和p62蛋白的表达与其化疗敏感性的相关性

为了探讨卵巢癌中HMGB1、BRCA1和p62蛋白的表达与化疗敏感性的相关性,培养卵巢癌顺铂化疗耐药细胞ES-2和敏感细胞SKVO3,顺铂100 mg/m2环境培养5 d,分别采用Western blotting法和RT-PCR方法检测两种细胞中的HMGB1、BRCA1和p62蛋白表达情况,采用流式细胞术测算细胞凋亡率。敏感组细胞SKOV3和耐药组细胞ES-2中,BRCA1蛋白表达率分别为(38.08±22.56)%和(45.65±22.42)%,HMGB1蛋白表达率分别为(75.13±16.45)%和(83.08±24.22)%,p62蛋白表达率分别为(52.31±25.13)%和(37.26±21.09)%;顺铂处理后,敏感组SKOV3细胞中BRCA1蛋白表达量显著提高(p0.05),耐药组ES-2细胞中p62蛋白相对表达量高于敏感组SKOV3细胞(p0.01)。卵巢癌化疗后HMGB1下调与BRCA1、p62上调共存;卵巢癌中BRCA1蛋白的不同表达与化疗敏感性相关,其水平变化有可能作为一种新的肿瘤标志物,动态观察卵巢癌病情进展,为临床治疗提供客观指标。     

山东东部地区家族性和早发性乳腺癌BRCA1基因突变的研究

目的:研究家族性和早发性乳腺癌BRCA1基因突变情况.方法:选取52例来自不同家系家族性和早发性乳腺癌患者,提取外周血基因组DNA,对BRCA1基因的全部编码序列及外显子与内含子的拼接区进行PCR基因扩增,扩增产物经变性高效液相色谱分析(DHPLC)除筛后,对发现异常的片断进行DNA直接测序证实.结果:在52例家族性和早发性乳腺癌患者中发现4例(7.7%)BRCA1致病性突变(2257C＞G,2229del1AA,3413de1T),其中BRCA1的2229de1AA在两个不同的家系重复出现.3413de1T突变未在Breast Cancer Information Core(BIC)数据库和相关的文献报道过.家族性乳腺癌突变率为12%(3/25);单纯早发性乳腺癌突变率为3.7%(1/27).结论:BRCA1突变在山东东部地区家族性乳腺癌的发病中发挥重要作用,对具有家族史的乳腺癌家系进行BRCA1基因突变筛查具有重要意义.     

Effects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations on female fertility

Women with BRCA1/2 mutations have a significantly higher lifetime risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. We suggest that female mutation carriers may have improved fitness owing to enhanced fertility relative to non-carriers. Here we show that women who are carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations living in natural fertility conditions have excess fertility as well as excess post-reproductive mortality in relation to controls. Individuals who tested positive for BRCA1/2 mutations who linked into multi-generational pedigrees within the Utah Population Database were used to identify putative obligate carriers. We find that women born before 1930 who are mutation carriers have significantly more children than controls and have excess post-reproductive mortality risks. They also have shorter birth intervals and end child-bearing later than controls. For contemporary women tested directly for BRCA1/2 mutations, an era when modern contraceptives are available, differences in fertility and mortality persist but are attenuated. Our findings suggest the need to re-examine the wider role played by BRCA1/2 mutations. Elevated fertility of female mutation carriers indicates that they are more fecund despite their elevated post-reproductive mortality risks.     

Structural basis for recruitment of BRCA2 by PALB2

The breast cancer 2, early onset protein (BRCA2) is central to the repair of DNA damage by homologous recombination. BRCA2 recruits the recombinase RAD51 to sites of damage, regulates its assembly into nucleoprotein filaments and thereby promotes homologous recombination. Localization of BRCA2 to nuclear foci requires its association with the partner and localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2), mutations in which are associated with cancer predisposition, as well as subtype N of Fanconi anaemia. We have determined the structure of the PALB2 carboxy‐terminal β‐propeller domain in complex with a BRCA2 peptide. The structure shows the molecular determinants of this important protein–protein interaction and explains the effects of both cancer‐associated truncating mutants in PALB2 and missense mutations in the amino‐terminal region of BRCA2.     

Genomic rearrangements in BRCA1 and BRCA2: A literature review

Women with mutations in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 have an increased lifetime risk of developing breast, ovarian and other BRCA-associated cancers. However, the number of detected germline mutations in families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome is lower than expected based upon genetic linkage data. Undetected deleterious mutations in the BRCA genes in some high-risk families are due to the presence of intragenic rearrangements such as deletions, duplications or insertions that span whole exons. This article reviews the molecular aspects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 rearrangements and their frequency among different populations. An overview of the techniques used to screen for large rearrangements in BRCA1 and BRCA2 is also presented. The detection of rearrangements in BRCA genes, especially BRCA1, offers a promising outlook for mutation screening in clinical practice, particularly in HBOC families that test negative for a germline mutation assessed by traditional methods.     

Genetic Screens Reveal FEN1 and APEX2 as BRCA2 Synthetic Lethal Targets

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BRCA2 mediates centrosome cohesion via an interaction with cytoplasmic dynein

BRCA2 is responsible for familial breast and ovarian cancer and has been linked to DNA repair and centrosome duplication. Here we analyzed the mechanism by which the centrosomal localization signal (CLS) of BRCA2 interacts with cytoplasmic dynein 1 to localize BRCA2 to the centrosome. In vitro pull-down assays demonstrated that BRCA2 directly binds to the cytoplasmic dynein 1 light intermediate chain 2. A dominant-negative HA-CLS-DsRed fusion protein, the depletion of dynein by siRNA, and the inactivation of dynein by EHNA, inhibited the localization of BRCA2 at centrosomes and caused the separation of centrosome pairs during the S-phase. The double depletion of BRCA2 and C-Nap1 caused a larger dispersion of centrosome distances than the silencing of C-Nap1. These results suggest that cytoplasmic dynein 1 binds to BRCA2 through the latter's CLS and BRCA2 mediates the cohesion between centrosomes during the S phase, potentially serving as a cell-cycle checkpoint.     

Deciphering the BRCA1 Tumor Suppressor Network

The BRCA1 tumor suppressor protein is a central constituent of several distinct macromolecular protein complexes that execute homology-directed DNA damage repair and cell cycle checkpoints. Recent years have borne witness to an exciting phase of discovery at the basic molecular level for how this network of DNA repair proteins acts to maintain genome stability and suppress cancer. The clinical dividends of this investment are now being realized with the approval of first-in-class BRCA-targeted therapies for ovarian cancer and identification of molecular events that determine responsiveness to these agents. Further delineation of the basic science underlying BRCA network function holds promise to maximally exploit genome instability for hereditary and sporadic cancer therapy.     

Identification of Rad51 regulation by BRCA2 using Caenorhabditis elegans BRCA2 and bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis

BRCA2 is involved in double-stranded DNA break repair by binding and regulating Rad51-mediated homologous recombination. Insights as to how BRCA2 regulates Rad51-mediated DNA repair arose from in vitro biochemical studies on fragments of BRCA2. However, the large 400-kDa BRCA2 protein has hampered our ability to understand the entire process by which full-length BRCA2 regulates Rad51. Here, we show that CeBRC-2, which is only one tenth the size of mammalian BRCA2, complemented BRCA2-deficiency in Rad51 regulation. CeBRC-2 was able to bind to mammalian Rad51 (mRad51) and form distinct nuclear foci when they interacted. In our bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis (BiFC), we show that the strength of the interaction between CeBRC-2 and mRad51 increased markedly after DNA damage. The BRC motif of CeBRC-2 was responsible for binding mRad51, but without the OB fold, the complex was unable to target damaged DNA. When CeBRC-2 was introduced into BRCA2-deficient cells, it restored Rad51 foci after DNA damage. Our study suggests a mode of action for BRCA2 with regard to DNA repair.     

Silencing of BRCA2 to Identify Novel BRCA2-regulated Biological Functions in Cultured Human Cells

Silencing of the tumor suppressor protein BRCA2 and its detection by conventional biochemical analyses represent a great technical challenge owing to the large size of the human BRCA2 protein (approximately 390 kDa). We report modifications of standard siRNA transfection and immunoblotting protocols to silence human BRCA2 and detect endogenous BRCA2 protein, respectively, in human epithelial cell lines. Key steps include a high siRNA to transfection reagent ratio and two subsequent rounds of siRNA transfection within the same experiment. Using these and other modifications to the standard protocol we consistently achieve more than 70% silencing of the human BRCA2 gene as judged by immunoblotting analysis with anti-BRCA2 antibodies. In addition, denaturation of the cell lysates at 55 °C instead of the conventional 70-100 °C and other technical optimizations of the immunoblotting procedure allow detection of intact BRCA2 protein even when very low amounts of starting material are available or when BRCA2 protein expression levels are very low. Efficient silencing of BRCA2 in human cells offers a valuable strategy to disrupt BRCA2 function in cells with intact BRCA2, including tumor cells, to examine new molecular pathways and cellular functions that may be affected by pathogenic BRCA2 mutations in tumors. Adaptation of this protocol for efficient silencing and analysis of other ''large'' proteins like BRCA2 should be readily achievable.     

Centrosomal BRCA2 is a target protein of membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP)

BRCA2 localizes to centrosomes between G1 and prophase and is removed from the centrosomes during mitosis, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. Here we show that BRCA2 is cleaved into two fragments by membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), and that knockdown of MT1-MMP prevents the removal of BRCA2 from centrosomes during metaphase. Mass spectrometry mapping revealed that the MT1-MMP cleavage site of human BRCA2 is between Asn-2135 and Leu-2136 (²¹³²LSNN/LNVEGG²¹⁴¹), and the point mutation L2136D abrogated MT1-MMP cleavage. Our data demonstrate that MT1-MMP proteolysis of BRCA2 regulates the abundance of BRCA2 on centrosomes.