BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives
The evolving history of BRCA1 research demonstrates the profound interconnectedness of a single protein within the web of crucial functions in human cells. Mutations in BRCA1, a tumor suppressor gene, have been linked to heightened breast and ovarian cancer risks. However, despite decades of extensi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/18/14276 |
| _version_ | 1797579640300109824 |
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| author | Amy X. Zhong Yumay Chen Phang-Lang Chen |
| author_facet | Amy X. Zhong Yumay Chen Phang-Lang Chen |
| author_sort | Amy X. Zhong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The evolving history of BRCA1 research demonstrates the profound interconnectedness of a single protein within the web of crucial functions in human cells. Mutations in BRCA1, a tumor suppressor gene, have been linked to heightened breast and ovarian cancer risks. However, despite decades of extensive research, the mechanisms underlying BRCA1’s contribution to tissue-specific tumor development remain elusive. Nevertheless, much of the BRCA1 protein’s structure, function, and interactions has been elucidated. Individual regions of BRCA1 interact with numerous proteins to play roles in ubiquitination, transcription, cell checkpoints, and DNA damage repair. At a cellular scale, these BRCA1 functions coordinate tumor suppression, R-loop prevention, and cellular differentiation, all of which may contribute to BRCA1’s role in cancer tissue specificity. As research on BRCA1 and breast cancer continues to evolve, it will become increasingly evident that modern materials such as Bisphenol A should be examined for their relationship with DNA stability, cancer incidence, and chemotherapy. Overall, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of BRCA1’s many roles at a molecular, cellular, organismal, and environmental scale. We hope that the knowledge gathered here highlights both the necessity of BRCA1 research and the potential for novel strategies to prevent and treat cancer in individuals carrying BRCA1 mutations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:38:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-339d3d9531644433bb4e8ee59eefb4b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:38:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-339d3d9531644433bb4e8ee59eefb4b12023-11-19T11:10:22ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-09-0124181427610.3390/ijms241814276BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental PerspectivesAmy X. Zhong0Yumay Chen1Phang-Lang Chen2Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USAThe evolving history of BRCA1 research demonstrates the profound interconnectedness of a single protein within the web of crucial functions in human cells. Mutations in BRCA1, a tumor suppressor gene, have been linked to heightened breast and ovarian cancer risks. However, despite decades of extensive research, the mechanisms underlying BRCA1’s contribution to tissue-specific tumor development remain elusive. Nevertheless, much of the BRCA1 protein’s structure, function, and interactions has been elucidated. Individual regions of BRCA1 interact with numerous proteins to play roles in ubiquitination, transcription, cell checkpoints, and DNA damage repair. At a cellular scale, these BRCA1 functions coordinate tumor suppression, R-loop prevention, and cellular differentiation, all of which may contribute to BRCA1’s role in cancer tissue specificity. As research on BRCA1 and breast cancer continues to evolve, it will become increasingly evident that modern materials such as Bisphenol A should be examined for their relationship with DNA stability, cancer incidence, and chemotherapy. Overall, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of BRCA1’s many roles at a molecular, cellular, organismal, and environmental scale. We hope that the knowledge gathered here highlights both the necessity of BRCA1 research and the potential for novel strategies to prevent and treat cancer in individuals carrying BRCA1 mutations.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/18/14276tumor suppressor geneBRCA1breast cancertissue specificityubiquitinationDNA damage repair |
| spellingShingle | Amy X. Zhong Yumay Chen Phang-Lang Chen BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives International Journal of Molecular Sciences tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 breast cancer tissue specificity ubiquitination DNA damage repair |
| title | BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives |
| title_full | BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives |
| title_short | BRCA1 the Versatile Defender: Molecular to Environmental Perspectives |
| title_sort | brca1 the versatile defender molecular to environmental perspectives |
| topic | tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 breast cancer tissue specificity ubiquitination DNA damage repair |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/18/14276 |
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