Molecular Cell Biology : Highlights
: Molecular Cell Biology Articles
Review: Telomeres: protecting chromosomes against genome instabilityThe natural ends of linear chromosomes require unique genetic and structural adaptations to facilitate the protection of genetic material. This is achieved by the sequestration of the telomeric sequence into a protective nucleoprotein cap that masks the ends from constitutive exposure to the DNA damage Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, vol. 11 #3, pp171-181 |
Review: Genome destabilization by homologous recombination in the germ lineMeiotic recombination, which promotes proper homologous chromosome segregation at the first meiotic division, normally occurs between allelic sequences on homologues. However, recombination can also take place between non-allelic DNA segments that share high sequence identity. Such non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) can markedly alter genome architecture Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, vol. 11 #3, pp182-195 |
Review: Mitotic homologous recombination maintains genomic stability and suppresses tumorigenesisMitotic homologous recombination promotes genome stability through the precise repair of DNA double-strand breaks and other lesions that are encountered during normal cellular metabolism and from exogenous insults. As a result, homologous recombination repair is essential during proliferative stages in development and during somatic cell Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, vol. 11 #3, pp196-207 |
Review: Maintaining genome stability at the replication forkAberrant DNA replication is a major source of the mutations and chromosome rearrangements that are associated with pathological disorders. When replication is compromised, DNA becomes more prone to breakage. Secondary structures, highly transcribed DNA sequences and damaged DNA stall replication forks, which then require checkpoint Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, vol. 11 #3, pp208-219 |
Progress: Repeat instability as the basis for human diseases and as a potential target for therapyExpansions of repetitive DNA sequences cause numerous human neurological and neuromuscular diseases. Ongoing repeat expansions in patients can exacerbate disease progression and severity. As pathogenesis is connected to repeat length, a potential therapeutic avenue is to modulate disease by manipulating repeat expansion size ? targeting Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, vol. 11 #3, pp165-170 |
Review: Genomic instability ? an evolving hallmark of cancerGenomic instability is a characteristic of most cancers. In hereditary cancers, genomic instability results from mutations in DNA repair genes and drives cancer development, as predicted by the mutator hypothesis. In sporadic (non-hereditary) cancers the molecular basis of genomic instability remains unclear, but recent high-throughput Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, vol. 11 #3, pp220-228 |
