Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.

The unique ability of centrosomes to nucleate and organize microtubules makes them unrivaled conductors of important interphase processes, such as intracellular payload traffic, cell polarity, cell locomotion, and organization of the immunologic synapse. But it is in mitosis that centrosomes loom l...

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Main Author: German A Pihan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2013-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fonc.2013.00277/full
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author German A Pihan
author_facet German A Pihan
author_sort German A Pihan
collection DOAJ
description The unique ability of centrosomes to nucleate and organize microtubules makes them unrivaled conductors of important interphase processes, such as intracellular payload traffic, cell polarity, cell locomotion, and organization of the immunologic synapse. But it is in mitosis that centrosomes loom large, for they orchestrate, with clockmaker’s precision, the assembly and functioning of the mitotic spindle, ensuring the equal partitioning of the replicated genome into daughter cells. Centrosome dysfunction is inextricably linked to aneuploidy and chromosome instability, both hallmarks of cancer cells. Several aspects of centrosome function in normal and cancer cells have been molecularly characterized during the last two decades, greatly enhancing our mechanistic understanding of this tiny organelle. Whether centrosome defects alone can cause cancer, remains unanswered. Until recently, the aggregate of the evidence had suggested that centrosome dysfunction, by deregulating the fidelity of chromosome segregation, promotes and accelerates the characteristic Darwinian evolution of the cancer genome enabled by increased mutational load and/or decreased DNA repair. Very recent experimental work has shown that missegreated chromosomes resulting from centrosome dysfunction may experience extensive DNA damage, suggesting additional dimensions to the role of centrosomes in cancer. Centrosome dysfunction is particularly prevalent in tumors in which the genome has undergone extensive structural rearrangements and chromosome domain reshuffling. Ongoing gene reshuffling reprograms the genome for continuous growth, survival, and evasion of the immune system. Manipulation of molecular networks controlling centrosome function may soon become a viable target for specific therapeutic intervention in cancer, particularly since normal cells, which lack centrosome alterations, may be spared the toxicity of such therapies.
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spelling doaj.art-e223b2f31668468ebad4102f5dcdcff42022-12-21T19:42:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2013-11-01310.3389/fonc.2013.0027764924Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.German A Pihan0Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical SchoolThe unique ability of centrosomes to nucleate and organize microtubules makes them unrivaled conductors of important interphase processes, such as intracellular payload traffic, cell polarity, cell locomotion, and organization of the immunologic synapse. But it is in mitosis that centrosomes loom large, for they orchestrate, with clockmaker’s precision, the assembly and functioning of the mitotic spindle, ensuring the equal partitioning of the replicated genome into daughter cells. Centrosome dysfunction is inextricably linked to aneuploidy and chromosome instability, both hallmarks of cancer cells. Several aspects of centrosome function in normal and cancer cells have been molecularly characterized during the last two decades, greatly enhancing our mechanistic understanding of this tiny organelle. Whether centrosome defects alone can cause cancer, remains unanswered. Until recently, the aggregate of the evidence had suggested that centrosome dysfunction, by deregulating the fidelity of chromosome segregation, promotes and accelerates the characteristic Darwinian evolution of the cancer genome enabled by increased mutational load and/or decreased DNA repair. Very recent experimental work has shown that missegreated chromosomes resulting from centrosome dysfunction may experience extensive DNA damage, suggesting additional dimensions to the role of centrosomes in cancer. Centrosome dysfunction is particularly prevalent in tumors in which the genome has undergone extensive structural rearrangements and chromosome domain reshuffling. Ongoing gene reshuffling reprograms the genome for continuous growth, survival, and evasion of the immune system. Manipulation of molecular networks controlling centrosome function may soon become a viable target for specific therapeutic intervention in cancer, particularly since normal cells, which lack centrosome alterations, may be spared the toxicity of such therapies.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fonc.2013.00277/fullCarcinomaCell DivisionCentriolesCentrosomeChromosomesLeukemia
spellingShingle German A Pihan
Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.
Frontiers in Oncology
Carcinoma
Cell Division
Centrioles
Centrosome
Chromosomes
Leukemia
title Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.
title_full Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.
title_fullStr Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.
title_full_unstemmed Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.
title_short Centrosome Dysfunction Contributes To Chromosome Instability, Chromoanagenesis And Genome Reprograming In Cancer.
title_sort centrosome dysfunction contributes to chromosome instability chromoanagenesis and genome reprograming in cancer
topic Carcinoma
Cell Division
Centrioles
Centrosome
Chromosomes
Leukemia
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fonc.2013.00277/full
work_keys_str_mv AT germanapihan centrosomedysfunctioncontributestochromosomeinstabilitychromoanagenesisandgenomereprogramingincancer