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BRCA1 and p53: compensatory roles in DNA repair

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Abstract

The BRCA1 breast cancer susceptibility gene has been implicated in many cellular processes, yet its specific mechanism of tumor suppression remains unclear. BRCA1 plays a role in several DNA repair pathways including nucleotide excision repair (NER). Loss of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, a key regulator of NER, is an important and necessary event in the pathogenesis of BRCA1-mutated tumors. Here we discuss the role of BRCA1 and NER in breast cancer and the interactions of BRCA1 with p53 in breast tumorigenesis and suggest approaches for risk assessment and chemotherapeutic management of BRCA1-related breast cancer.

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Abbreviations

BPDE :

Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide

ER :

Estrogen receptor

FA :

Fanconi anemia

GGR :

Global genomic repair

IR :

Ionizing radiation

NER :

Nucleotide excision repair

TCR :

Transcription-coupled repair

UV :

Ultraviolet

XP :

Xeroderma pigmentosum

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Acknowledgements

A.R.H. was supported by an ASCO Young Investigator Award and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the California Breast Cancer Research Program. J.M.F. was supported by the National Institutes of Health Award RO1 CA83889, a California Breast Cancer Research Program Pilot Award, a California Cancer Research Program Research Award, a V Foundation Award in Translational Science, and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund New Investigator Award in Toxicological Sciences.

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  1. Anne-Renee Hartman

    Present address: Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Medicine (Oncology) and Genetics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, 269 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Anne-Renee Hartman & James M. Ford

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  2. James M. Ford
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Correspondence to James M. Ford.

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Hartman, AR., Ford, J.M. BRCA1 and p53: compensatory roles in DNA repair. J Mol Med 81, 700–707 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-003-0477-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-003-0477-0

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