Abstract
Mutations in the
gene cause an extremely high lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancer, but the exact mechanism by which the BRCA1 protein acts to prevent cancer onset remains unclear. In this edition of
, Park and colleagues describe a new mouse model featuring a single amino acid substitution in the coiled-coil motif of BRCA1. This change prevents BRCA1 from interacting with PALB2 (partner and localizer of BRCA2), causing rapid cancer onset and a loss of blood cells similar to Fanconi anemia.
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