Combined functional genomic maps of the C. elegans DNA damage response

Many human cancers originate from defects in the DNA damage response (DDR). Although much is known about this process, it is likely that additional DDR genes remain to be discovered. To identify such genes, we used a strategy that combines protein-protein interaction mapping and large-scale phenotypic analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Together, these approaches identified 12 worm DDR orthologs and 11 novel DDR genes. One of these is the putative ortholog of hBCL3, a gene frequently altered in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Thus, the combination of functional genomic mapping approaches in model organisms may facilitate the identification and characterization of genes involved in cancer and, perhaps, other human diseases.