Aberrant Subcellular Localization of BRCA1 in Breast Cancer

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 270; no. 5237; pp. 789 - 791
• Main Authors: Chen, Yumay, Chen, Chi-Fen, Riley, Daniel J., Allred, D. Craig, Chen, Phang-Lang, Von Hoff, Daniel, Osborne, C. Kent, Lee, Wen-Hwa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 03-11-1995; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Antibodies; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; BRCA1 Protein; Breast - chemistry; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - chemistry; Breast Neoplasms - ultrastructure; Cancer; Cell Fractionation; Cell Line; Cell lines; Cell nucleus; Cell Nucleus - chemistry; Cellular biology; Cellular immunity; Cloning; Cytoplasm; Cytoplasm - chemistry; Epithelial cells; Female; Genes; Genetic aspects; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Male; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Neoplasms - chemistry; Neoplasms - ultrastructure; Ovarian Neoplasms - chemistry; Ovarian Neoplasms - ultrastructure; Pleural Effusion, Malignant - chemistry; Pleural Effusion, Malignant - pathology; Stromal cells; Transcription Factors - analysis; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Tumor cell line; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors; Human; Intracellular transport; Pathogenesis; Gene product; Proteins; Mammary gland diseases; Cell line; Phosphoproteins; Tumor; Mammary gland; Molecular biology; Transcription factor; Localization; Nuclear protein
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.270.5237.789

The BRCA1 gene product was identified as a 220-kilodalton nuclear phosphoprotein in normal cells, including breast ductal epithelial cells, and in 18 of 20 tumor cell lines derived from tissues other than breast and ovary. In 16 of 17 breast and ovarian cancer lines and 17 of 17 samples of cells obtained from malignant effusions, however, BRCA1 localized mainly in cytoplasm. Absence of BRCA1 or aberrant subcellular location was also observed to a variable extent in histological sections of many breast cancer biopsies. These findings suggest that BRCA1 abnormalities may be involved in the pathogenesis of many breast cancers, sporadic as well as familial.