title: Translocation and gross deletion breakpoints in human inherited disease and cancer II: Potential involvement of repetitive sequence elements in secondary structure formation between DNA ends.
abstract: Translocations and gross deletions are responsible for a significant proportion of both cancer and inherited disease. Although such gene rearrangements are nonuniformly distributed in the human genome, the underlying mutational mechanisms remain unclear. We have studied the potential involvement of various types of repetitive sequence elements in the formation of secondary structure intermediates between the single-stranded DNA ends that recombine during rearrangements. Complexity analysis was used to assess the potential of these ends to form secondary structures, the maximum decrease in complexity consequent to a gross rearrangement being used as an indicator of the type of repeat and the specific DNA ends involved. A total of 175 pairs of deletion/translocation breakpoint junction sequences available from the Gross Rearrangement Breakpoint Database [GRaBD; www.uwcm.ac.uk/uwcm/mg/grabd/grabd.html] were analyzed. Potential secondary structure was noted between the 5' flanking sequence of the first breakpoint and the 3' flanking sequence of the second breakpoint in 49% of rearrangements and between the 5' flanking sequence of the second breakpoint and the 3' flanking sequence of the first breakpoint in 36% of rearrangements. Inverted repeats, inversions of inverted repeats, and symmetric elements were found in association with gross rearrangements at approximately the same frequency. However, inverted repeats and inversions of inverted repeats accounted for the vast majority (83%) of deletions plus small insertions, symmetric elements for one-half of all antigen receptor-mediated translocations, while direct repeats appear only to be involved in mediating simple deletions. These findings extend our understanding of illegitimate recombination by highlighting the importance of secondary structure formation between single-stranded DNA ends at breakpoint junctions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chuzhanova
authors.forename: Shaun S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Abeysinghe
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krawczak
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D024509:3' Flanking Region / Q000235:genetics; D024506:5' Flanking Region / Q000235:genetics; D019457:Chromosome Breakage / Q000235:genetics*; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D019673:Genes, T-Cell Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000235:genetics*; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D020407:Internet; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000235:genetics; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D004247:DNA; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase