title: Cancer: involvement of replicative origins?
abstract: The assumption is made that movable genetic elements related to cancer are replicons and/or replicative origins. Some evidence is provided that certain mobile Alu-origins may represent candidates for precursors of chromosomal insertions. They could incorporate and interact with "fixed" chromosomal origins converting them to "procaryotic" ones. In other words, cancer is considered the result of a short and compact "re-evolution" from eucaryotic to "procaryotic" replication units.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000235:genetics; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D012093:Replicon
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004270:DNA, Circular; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase