Chromosome segregation and cancer: cutting through the mystery

Nat Rev Cancer. 2001 Nov;1(2):109-17. doi: 10.1038/35101065.

Abstract

Mitosis is the most dramatic--and potentially dangerous--event in the cell cycle, as sister chromatids are irreversibly segregated to daughter cells. Defects in the checkpoints that normally maintain the fidelity of this process can lead to chromosomal instability (CIN) and cancer. However, CIN--a driving force of tumorigenesis--could be the cancer cell's ultimate vulnerability. An important goal is to identify novel anticancer compounds that directly target the mitotic errors at the heart of CIN.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aneuploidy
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / physiology
  • Cell Cycle / genetics
  • Cell Cycle / physiology
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / physiology
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • Chromosome Aberrations
  • Chromosome Segregation / drug effects
  • Chromosome Segregation / genetics
  • Chromosome Segregation / physiology*
  • Chromosomes, Human / genetics
  • Chromosomes, Human / ultrastructure
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • DNA Damage
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology
  • Genes, APC
  • Genes, cdc
  • Growth Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Karyotyping
  • Mad2 Proteins
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mitosis / drug effects
  • Mitosis / physiology
  • Models, Biological
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
  • Protein Kinases / physiology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Repressor Proteins*
  • Spindle Apparatus / ultrastructure

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • BUB3 protein, human
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • Bub3 protein, mouse
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Growth Inhibitors
  • MAD2L1 protein, human
  • MXD1 protein, human
  • Mad protein, mouse
  • Mad2 Proteins
  • Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Protein Kinases
  • Bub1 spindle checkpoint protein
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases