Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2026

11:15
Next Generation Sequencing for the Detection of Actionable Mutations in Solid and Liquid Tumors
Published on: September 20, 2016
Mutations of a novel human RAD54 homologue, RAD54B, in primary cancer
T Hiramoto1, T Nakanishi, T Sumiyoshi
1Department of Molecular Pathology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Japan.
Oncogene
|June 11, 1999
Summary
A novel gene, RAD54B, involved in DNA repair and recombination, was identified. Mutations in RAD54B were found in human cancers, suggesting its role in cancer development.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Recombination is crucial for genome stability, and defects are linked to cancer.
- Previous studies implicated BRCA1, BRCA2, NBS1, and RAD51 in recombination and cancer.
- Known RAD52 epistasis group members are rarely mutated in human cancers, prompting a search for novel genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel genes involved in DNA recombination and their potential role in cancer.
- To characterize a newly discovered gene, RAD54B, and its functional significance.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of a novel gene, RAD54B, from the SNF2 superfamily.
- Sequence analysis revealing homology to RAD54 and presence of DNA/RNA helicase motifs.
- Expression analysis in human tissues.
- Mutation analysis in human primary cancers (lymphoma and colon cancer).
- Chromosomal mapping of RAD54B.
Main Results:
- RAD54B, homologous to RAD54, was identified with DNA/RNA helicase motifs.
- RAD54B expression is high in testis and spleen, sites of active recombination.
- RAD54B maps to chromosome 8q21.3-q22, a region prone to cancer-related abnormalities.
- Homozygous mutations in conserved RAD54B positions were found in primary lymphoma and colon cancer.
Conclusions:
- RAD54B is a novel recombination protein potentially acting with the RAD52 epistasis group.
- Alterations in RAD54B function may contribute to the development of certain human cancers.
- RAD54B is a candidate gene for cancer-related chromosomal abnormalities.
Related Concept Videos
Mismatch Repair
Overview
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
The Ras Gene
The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a superfamily...
Ras is a superfamily...
Mismatch Repair
Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
Other Unique Bacteria
Magnetic bacteria exhibit a directed movement called magnetotaxis, driven by structures called magnetosomes. These magnetosomes consist of chains of magnetic particles made of either magnetite (Fe₃O₄) or greigite (Fe₃S₄) and are organized in a linear conformation by a protein scaffold within invaginations of the cell membrane. The bacteria align along the north–south magnetic field lines, much like a compass needle. They are typically microaerophilic or anaerobic and are commonly found near the...

