title: Chromosomal instability--mechanisms and consequences.
abstract: Chromosomal instability is defined as a state of numerical and/or structural chromosomal anomalies in cells. Numerous studies have documented the incidence of chromosomal instability, which acutely or chronically may lead to accelerated ageing (tissue-wide or even organismal), cancer or other genetic disorders. Potential mechanisms leading to the generation of chromosome-genome instability include erroneous/inefficient DNA repair, chromosome segregation defects, spindle assembly defects, DNA replication stress, telomere shortening/dysfunction - to name a few. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms for chromosomal instability in various human cells and tissues will be useful in elucidating the cause for many age associated diseases including cancer. This approach holds a great promise for the cytogenetic assays not only for prognosis but also for diagnostic purposes in clinical settings. In this review, a multi-dimensional approach has been attempted to portray the complexity behind the incidence of chromosome-genome instability including evolutionary implications at the species level for some of the mechanisms of chromosomal instability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597.
authors.forename: Shriram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo 01100, Italy.
authors.forename: Adayapalam T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Natarajan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597; Tembusu College, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 138597. Electronic address: phsmph@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: M Prakash
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hande
mesh_terms: D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D004194:Disease / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006801:Humans
keywords: Cellular stress; Chemical exposures; Chromosomal instability; DNA repair; Ionising radiation; Telomeres