RecQ helicases: multifunctional genome caretakers.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19657341.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/nrc2682.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Around 1% of the open reading frames in the human genome encode predicted DNA and RNA helicases. One highly conserved group of DNA helicases is the RecQ family. Genetic defects in three of the five human RecQ helicases, BLM, WRN and RECQ4, give rise to defined syndromes associated with cancer predisposition, some features of premature ageing and chromosomal instability. In recent years, there has been a tremendous advance in our understanding of the cellular functions of individual RecQ helicases. In this Review, we discuss how these proteins might suppress genomic rearrangements, and therefore function as 'caretaker' tumour suppressors.
Medical subject headings
- Genome, Human
- Neoplasms
- RecQ Helicases