title: The complex nature of fragile site plasticity and its importance in cancer.
abstract: Common fragile sites (CFSs) are chromosomal regions characterized as hotspots for breakage and chromosomal rearrangements following DNA replication stress. They are preferentially unstable in pre-cancerous lesions and during cancer development. Recently CFSs were found to be tissue- and even oncogene-induced specific, thus indicating an unforeseen complexity. Here we review recent developments in CFS research that shed new light on the molecular basis of their instability and their importance in cancer development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, The Life Sciences Institute, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarni
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, The Life Sciences Institute, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. Electronic address: batshevak@savion.huji.ac.il.
authors.forename: Batsheva
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kerem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D043283:Chromosome Fragile Sites; D004261:DNA Replication; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009857:Oncogenes