DNA Mismatch Repair in Tumor Suppression
Year: 2001
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: It is believed that cancer is caused by mutations (1). In addition to the mutations induced by DNA damage, mutations can arise from mismatched base pairs (bps) generated during DNA replication and recombination. However, to avoid mutagenesis, cells possess mutation avoidance systems, one of which is the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway. MMR is the primary cellular pathway that is responsible for correcting mispairs that arise during normal DNA metabolism. In bacteria, the importance of MMR in maintaining genomic stability was demonstrated with the observation, made more than 25 years ago, that defects in this pathway lead to elevated spontaneous mutability (2, 3). Inactivation of MMR in eukaryotic cells results in a mutator phenotype, and thus MMR is also crucial in maintaining genomic stability in eukaryotes. A dramatic example of this fact is the direct association of MMR deficiency with human hereditary and sporadic cancer.
Source: Humana Press eBooks
Authors: Guo-Min Li, Scott McCulloch, Liya Gu
Language: English
Topic: DNA Repair Mechanisms
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W74644770