BRCA2 in meiosis: turning over a new leaf.
Although originally thought to be confined to mammals, putative orthologues of the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 have now been found in a wide range of evolutionarily diverse taxa. These include the smut fungus Ustilago maydis, intracellular parasites, flies and vertebrates. A recent article demonstrates that two BRCA2-like genes in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana have a key role in meiosis. Investigating BRCA2 in distantly related organisms is likely to help to elucidate how the dysfunction of this gene leads to tumourigenesis.
Gudmundsdottir
Katrin
K
Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK.
Ashworth
Alan
A
D000818:Animals; D024522:Genes, BRCA2 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity