title: MutS homologs in mammalian cells.
abstract: Alterations of the human mismatch repair genes have been linked to hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) as well as to sporadic cancers that exhibit microsatellite instability. The human mismatch repair genes are highly conserved homologs of the Escherichia coli MutHLS system. Six MutS homologs have been identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and four MutS homologs have been identified in human cells. At least three of these eukaryotic MutS homologs are involved in the recognition/binding of mispaired nucleotides and nucleotide lesions. MSH2 plays a fundamental role in mispair recognition whereas MSH3 and MSH6 appear to modify the specificity of this recognition. The redundant functions of MSH3 and MSH6 explain the greater prevalence of hmsh2 mutations in HNPCC families.
authors.affiliation: DNA Repair and Molecular Carcinogenesis Program, Kimmel Cancer Institute and Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA. rfishel@hendrix.jci.tju.edu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fishel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003123:Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis / Q000235:genetics; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D051719:MutS DNA Mismatch-Binding Protein; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C489751:MSH2 protein, S cerevisiae; C497172:MSH2 protein, human; C497173:Msh2 protein, mouse; D051719:MutS DNA Mismatch-Binding Protein; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein; C497175:MutS protein, E coli