Watch out for the neighbors
Radiation induces DNA breaks, leading to chromosomal rearrangements. But do the breaks come first, followed by a wandering through the nucleus to find a suitable partner for the free DNA end? Or is the partner already nearby at the time of the break? In the 6 October Science, Nikiforova et al. provide evidence for the latter theory (Science 2000, 290:138-141). They look at papillary thyroid cancer, in which a radiation-induced inversion often fuses the genes for H4 and the RET receptor tyrosine
Oct 9, 2000
Radiation induces DNA breaks, leading to chromosomal rearrangements. But do the breaks come first, followed by a wandering through the nucleus to find a suitable partner for the free DNA end? Or is the partner already nearby at the time of the break? In the 6 October