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Updated: Aug 13, 2026
15:01
Quantitative, Real-time Analysis of Base Excision Repair Activity in Cell Lysates Utilizing Lesion-specific Molecular Beacons
Published on: August 6, 2012
Is base excision repair a tumor suppressor mechanism?
Joann B Sweasy1, Tieming Lang, Daniel DiMaio
1Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. joann.sweasy@yale.edu
Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|January 19, 2006
Summary
Base excision repair removes DNA damage from oxygen metabolism. Variants in repair genes suggest base excision repair functions as a tumor suppressor, warranting further study in cancer etiology.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- The base excision repair (BER) pathway is essential for eliminating DNA damage, particularly oxidized and methylated bases, often resulting from endogenous oxygen metabolism.
- Key proteins in BER, including DNA glycosylases, APE1 endonuclease, DNA polymerase beta, and DNA ligase, work coordinately to repair DNA base adducts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of the base excision repair pathway in human cancer etiology.
- To evaluate the evidence supporting base excision repair as a tumor suppressor mechanism.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on base excision repair pathway proteins and their variants.
- Analysis of existing laboratory and epidemiological data concerning BER gene variants and cancer.
Main Results:
- Germline and tumor-associated variants in genes encoding BER proteins have been identified in humans.
- Many identified variants exhibit properties linked to cancer development, supporting a tumor suppressor role for BER.
Conclusions:
- Base excision repair likely functions as a critical tumor suppressor mechanism in humans.
- Further laboratory and epidemiological research is necessary to fully elucidate the role of base excision repair in cancer development.
Related Concept Videos
01:54Base Excision Repair
One of the common DNA damages is the chemical alteration of single bases by alkylation, oxidation, or deamination. The altered bases cause mispairing and strand breakage during replication. This type of damage causes minimal change to the DNA double helix structure and can be repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathways. BER corrects damaged DNA sequences by removing the damaged base and restoring the original base sequence using the complementary strand as a template.
The first step of...
The first step of...
01:54Base Excision Repair
One of the common DNA damages is the chemical alteration of single bases by alkylation, oxidation, or deamination. The altered bases cause mispairing and strand breakage during replication. This type of damage causes minimal change to the DNA double helix structure and can be repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathways. BER corrects damaged DNA sequences by removing the damaged base and restoring the original base sequence using the complementary strand as a template.
The first step of...
The first step of...
01:12Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
01:12Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
01:02Long-patch Base Excision Repair
Since the discovery of the two BER pathways, there has been a debate about how a cell chooses one pathway over the other and the factors determining this selection. Numerous in vitro experiments have pointed out multiple determinants for the sub-pathway selection. These are:
01:05Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...