Mechanisms underlying neoplasia-associated genomic rearrangements

Summary, in English

Neoplastic disorders are characterized by recurrent somatically acquired chromosomal aberrations that alter the structure and/or expression of a large number of genes. Most “cancer genes” discovered to date in human neoplasms have been identified through isolation of genes at the breakpoints of balanced chromosomal translocations. Although functional studies of such cancer-causing genes have demonstrated their causal role in tumorigenesis, the mechanisms underlying the formation of recurrent chromosomal changes in cancer remain enigmatic. Low-copy repeats (LCRs) are important mediators of erroneous meiotic recombination, resulting in constitutional chromosomal rearrangements. Recently, LCRs have been implicated in the formation of the frequent and characteristic neoplasia-associated chromosomal aberrations t(9;22)(q34;q1 1) and i(17q), suggesting that similar genome architecture features may play an important role in generating also other somatic chromosomal rearrangements.

• Author: Thoas Fioretos
• Editor: James R Lupski; P Stankiewicz
• Department/s: Division of Clinical Genetics
• Publishing year: 2006
• Language: English
• Pages: 327-337
• Publication/Series: Genomic disorders: The Genomic basis of disease
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-039-3_23
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Humana Press
• Topic: Medical Genetics
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISBN: 978-1-58829-559-0