Cohesin gene mutations in tumorigenesis: from discovery to clinical significance.

Abstract

Cohesin is a multi-protein complex composed of four core subunits (SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21, and either STAG1 or STAG2) that is responsible for the cohesion of sister chromatids following DNA replication until its cleavage during mitosis thereby enabling faithful segregation of sister chromatids into two daughter cells. Recent cancer genomics analyses have discovered a high frequency of somatic mutations in the genes encoding the core cohesin subunits as well as cohesin regulatory factors (e.g. NIPBL, PDS5B, ESPL1) in a select subset of human tumors including glioblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, urothelial carcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. Herein we review these studies including discussion of the functional significance of cohesin inactivation in tumorigenesis and potential therapeutic mechanisms to selectively target cancers harboring cohesin mutations.

• Authors: David A Solomon, Jung-Sik Kim, Todd Waldman
• Journal: BMB reports (BMB Rep) Vol. 47 Issue 6 Pg. 299-310 (Jun 2014) ISSN: 1976-670X [Electronic] Korea (South)
• PMID: 24856830 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Cell Cycle Proteins
• Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
• Protein Subunits
• cohesins

Topics

• Carcinogenesis
• Cell Cycle Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone (genetics, metabolism)
• Humans
• Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Mutation
• Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• Protein Subunits (genetics, metabolism)
• Urologic Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism, pathology)