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S K Sharan

Publications and source records attributed to S K Sharan.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Embryonic lethality and radiation hypersensitivity mediated by Rad51 in mice lacking Brca2.

Inherited mutations in the human BRCA2 gene cause about half of the cases of early-onset breast cancer. The embryonic expression pattern of the mouse Brca2 gene is now defined and an interaction identified of the Brca2 protein with the DNA-repair protein Rad51. Developmental arrest in Brca2-deficient embryos, their radiation sensitivity, and the association of Brca2 with Rad51 indicate that Brca2 may be an essential cofactor in the Rad51-dependent DNA repair of double-strand breaks, thereby explaining the tumour-suppressor function of Brca2.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1997

Murine Brca2: sequence, map position, and expression pattern.

Mutations in the human BRCA2 gene are responsible for about 45% of hereditary early onset breast cancer. Recently, the human BRCA2 gene was cloned, and several germline mutations were identified. Here we describe the cloning of the mouse homologue of BRCA2. The mouse cDNA sequence predicts a 3328-amino-acid Brca2 protein, 90 amino acids shorter than the human protein. The overall identity between the mouse and the human proteins is 59%, while the similarity is 72%. At the nucleotide level the homology is 74%. By comparing the amino acid sequences of the two homologues we have identified five highly conserved novel domains that may be functionally significant. Brca2 has been mapped to the distal end of mouse chromosome 5, a region of the mouse genome that contains other genes that also map to human chromosome 13q12-q13, confirming the conservation of this linkage group between the two species. Expression of Brca2 was detected in midgestation embryos and adult testis, thymus, and ovary.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Physical localization of eed: a region of mouse chromosome 7 required for gastrulation.

In the mouse, the embryonic ectoderm development (eed) region is defined by deletions encompassing the albino (c) locus of chromosome 7. The region is located 1-2 cM distal to the c locus and was of undetermined size. Embryos homozygous for deletions removing eed display defects in axial organization during gastrulation. Two loci, identified by chemical mutagenesis, are known to map within the eed interval. One, l7Rn5, probably represents the gene required for gastrulation. The second, l7Rn6, is required for survival after birth. fit1, a third locus identified by chemical mutagenesis, maps distal to the eed interval and is also required for survival after birth. A 900-kb YAC contig has been constructed, and deletion breakpoints defining the limits of the regions containing these loci have been localized. Their positions place the eed region within a maximum 150-kb interval at the proximal end of the contig, while fit1 maps to a 360-kb interval within the middle of the contig. Several clusters of rare-cutting restriction sites map within these regions and represent potential locations of candidate genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Murine Brca1: sequence and significance for human missense mutations.

We have cloned and sequenced a mouse homologue of the human breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1. The predicted mouse Brca1 protein is composed of 1812 amino acids. The murine protein is 60% identical and 72% similar to the human BRCA1 protein. Two regions of high homology have been identified between the two proteins. First is the Cys3-His-Cys4 type zinc-finger domain that is identical between the two proteins. The second region is defined by 115 amino acids near the carboxyl end of the Brca1 protein that is 83% identical to human BRCA1 sequence. Seven of eight amino acids involved in human missense mutations that are associated with the disease were found to be conserved between the two species. In contrast, most of the amino acids that are involved in polymorphic variations were not conserved. We therefore propose that the interspecies conservation of predicted amino acid sequences can be used as an additional criterion to determine the significance of human missense mutations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Role of transgenic mice in identification and characterization of tumour suppressor genes.

Transgenic mice expressing various oncogenes have been generated and widely used to study their role in tumorigenesis. The development of targeted mutagenesis allows specific genes to be mutated in mouse embryonic stem cells, which can then be used to generate mice with a germline mutation in that gene. Embryonic stem cell technology has been used to reconstruct genetic lesions in tumour suppressor genes such as p53 and Rb1, originally identified from studies in humans. The tumour susceptibility phenotype of mutant mice has unveiled the tumour suppressor activity of specific genes that were not expected to have such a function. Transgenic and knock out mice will have an increasingly important role in the identification of novel tumour suppressor genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Mouse albino-deletions: from genetics to genes in development.

Six essential genes located near the mouse albino locus have been identified as required during specific periods of development. Amongst these six, each is required either during the preimplantation stages of development, at specific times during gastrulation, within 12 hrs after birth or during juvenile development. These genes were identified as a result of extensive genetic complementation analysis using embryos homozygous for the albino deletions. Although, in principal, the associated developmental abnormalities could result from loss of multiple genes, the deletion phenotype in one case is identical to that induced by chemical mutagenesis. These results indicate that the abnormalities observed in deletion homozygotes may result from single gene loss. The deletions have proven useful not only as genetic tools to localize the position of the genes, but also as molecular entry points to the regions containing these genes. The current methodology being used to isolate candidate genes from the albino region is also reviewed here.

Albinism↗
PubMed1992

Genomic mapping within the albino-deletion complex using individual early postimplantation mouse embryos.

Sensitive methods for analysis of DNA from limited amounts of tissue are often difficult, error prone, and time consuming. Here, we describe a procedure for molecular analysis of individual early postimplantation mouse embryos by Southern analysis. The procedure involves embedding single embryos in agarose before lysing and deproteinizing in situ. The embedded DNA can be digested with restriction enzymes and analyzed by standard Southern-blotting procedures. The procedure is sensitive enough to detect single-copy sequences in embryos as early as day 6.5 of development. We have used the technique to genotype embryos homozygous for an embryonic lethal deletion. Normally, the lethal phenotype associated with such mutations is identified by a retrospective statistical analysis of abnormal embryos produced from a heterozygous cross as compared to those produced from a control cross. Now, if associated with a detectable DNA abnormality, the mutant embryo can be genotyped directly. We also report the use of this method for mapping cloned markers relative to deletion breakpoints. This approach can save considerable time since mapping would conventionally be done using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected in Mus musculus/Mus spretus interspecies hybrids. Using this procedure, we have been able to redefine the distal limits of the region of Chromosome (Chr) 7 containing a gene (eed) needed for development of the embryonic ectoderm.

Albinism↗
PubMed1991

Molecular mapping of albino deletions associated with early embryonic lethality in the mouse.

The albino-deletion complex consists of more than 37 deletions that remove an area of mouse chromosome 7 including the albino coat-color locus. Previous genetic and embryological studies with five of these deletions (C11DSD, c5FR60Hg, c4FR60Hd, c2YPSj, c6H) defined at least two genes required for normal development of the embryonic and extraembryonic ectoderm of early postimplantation embryos. A molecular genetic analysis of this region has been initiated using palb18, a genomic clone that defines the D7TM18 locus that maps to a region of chromosome 7 removed by the c11DSD deletion but not by the c5FR60Hg, c4FR60Hd, c2YPSj, or c6H deletions. palb18 was obtained by chromosomal microdissection and microcloning of the wild-type albino region. A genomic clone isolated with palb18 contains a repeat sequence localized primarily to the proximal region of the five deletions. The repeat sequence hybridizes differentially to the five deletion DNAs. The patterns of hybridization associated with these DNAs were used to define the order of the proximal breakpoints as centromere-c11DSD-c2YPSj-(c5FR60Hg-c4FR60Hd)- c6H. This order was confirmed by isolation of additional single-copy sequences. The molecular probes described here should allow for identification and isolation of the deletion breakpoints and thus provide immediate access to the distal side of the deletions where the genes affecting the development of the embryonic and extraembryonic ectoderm are located.

Albinism↗
PubMed1991

The albino-deletion complex of the mouse: molecular mapping of deletion breakpoints that define regions necessary for development of the embryonic and extraembryonic ectoderm.

Previous complementation analyses with five (c11DSD, c5FR60Hg, c2YPSj, c4FR60Hd, c6H) of the mouse albino deletions defined at least two genes on chromosome 7, known as eed and exed, which are necessary for development of the embryonic and extraembryonic ectoderm, respectively, of early postimplantation embryos. The region of chromosome 7 containing these two genes has now been accessed at the molecular level by cloning two of the deletion breakpoint-fusion fragments. The c2YPSj breakpoints were isolated by cloning an EcoRI fragment containing a copy of an albino region-specific repeat unique to c2YPSj DNA. Similarly, the c11DSD breakpoints were isolated by cloning a c11DSD EcoRI fragment detected by a unique-sequence probe mapping proximal to the albino-coat-color locus. By mapping the cloned breakpoints relative to the remaining three deletions, the c11DSD distal breakpoint was found to define the distal limit of the region containing eed, whereas the c2YPSj and c6H distal breakpoints were found to define the proximal and distal limits, respectively, of the region containing exed.

Albinism↗