A 33-year-old woman discovers a lump in her left breast on self-examination. Her mother and sister both had breast cancer. A mammogram demonstrates an ill-defined density in the outer quadrant of the left breast, with microcalcifications. Needle aspiration reveals the presence of malignant, ductal epithelial cells. Genetic screening identifies a mutation in BRCA1. In addition to cell cycle control, BRCA1 protein promotes which of the following cellular functions?
Breast (BR) cancer (CA) susceptibility genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) encode tumor suppressor proteins involved in checkpoint functions related to the progression of the cell cycle into the S phase. BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins also promote DNA repair by binding to RAD51, a molecule that mediates DNA double-strand repair breaks. The other choices may be abnormal in neoplasia, but they are not primarily affected by BRCA1.
Apoptosis
Cell Adhesion
DNA Repair
Gene Transcription
Tumour markers