Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
19
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-10-2
pubmed:abstractText
In the alternative pathway of telomere lengthening (ALT), neoplastic cell growth is prolonged by telomere recombination. We show that ALT is unexpectedly characterized by high rates of ongoing pericentromeric chromosomal instability. Combined with telomeric recombination, ALT pericentromeric instability generates neoacrocentric chromosomes. In the present studies, we describe a subgroup of ALT neoacrocentric minute chromosomes, composed of DNA entities two to five times smaller in size than human chromosome 21. The frequencies of ALT minute chromosomes were increased by gamma-irradiation and suppressed by telomerase. Continuous growth after telomerase inhibition/depletion was followed by increased rates of telomeric sister chromatid recombination and the emergence of minute chromosomes. We show that ALT minute chromosomes were derived from true centromeric fissions and/or chromosomal breakage/fusion/bridge cycles. They exhibit a two-chromatid structure, carry genomic DNA, centromeric and telomeric repeats, and display regular mitotic functionality. These observations are important in understanding the global genomic instability that characterizes most human advanced malignancies.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
1538-7445
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
68
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
8146-55
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
Pericentromeric instability and spontaneous emergence of human neoacrocentric and minute chromosomes in the alternative pathway of telomere lengthening.
pubmed:affiliation
Laboratory of Genetics, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece. sgagos@bioacademy.gr
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't