Overexpression of Gene That Interacts With Brca2 May Play Role in Genesis of Breast Cancer

The protein encoded by the EMSY gene interacts with the Brca2 protein, whose gene has been linked to familial breast cancer. Mutations in BRCA2 are not found in sporadic breast cancers, but the EMSY gene is amplified in 13% of these cancers. It has been suggested that overexpression of the EMSY gene may be an alternate mechanism for suppression of the activity of the Brca2 protein, which could lead to the development of malignant breast cells.


Connie J. Eaves, Ph.D., and David Huntsman, M.D., of the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, and colleagues conducted a series of experiments in a human breast cell line to determine whether overexpression of the EMSY gene would mimic the chromosome instability found in breast cancer cells that have lost functional Brca2 protein. They found that ESMY overexpression induced a chromosome instability phenotype that was similar to that found in BRCA2-deficient cells and conclude that EMSY overexpression may play a role in the genesis of breast cancer.


Sarah L. Zielinski

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Journal of the National Cancer Institute

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