TY - JOUR
T1 - Size Matters
T2 - Sequential Mutations in Tumorigenesis May Reflect the Stochastic Effect of Mutagen Target Sizes
AU - Long, Kimberly
AU - Abuelenen, Toaa
AU - Pava, Libia
AU - Bastille, Maya
AU - Blanck, George
PY - 2011/10
Y1 - 2011/10
N2 - We tallied the number of possible mutant amino acids in proteins thought to be inactivated early in tumorigenesis and in proteins thought to be inactivated late in tumorigenesis, respectively. Proteins thought to be inactivated early in tumorigenesis, on average, have a greater number of alternative, mutant possibilities, which raises the possibility that the sequential order of mutations associated with cancer development reflects the random chance, throughout life, of a mutagen inactivating a larger versus a smaller target. The hypothesis that the temporal order of genetic changes in cancer reflects mutagen target sizes leads to novel considerations of 1) the mechanisms of the acquisition of cancer hallmarks and 2) cancer screening strategies.
AB - We tallied the number of possible mutant amino acids in proteins thought to be inactivated early in tumorigenesis and in proteins thought to be inactivated late in tumorigenesis, respectively. Proteins thought to be inactivated early in tumorigenesis, on average, have a greater number of alternative, mutant possibilities, which raises the possibility that the sequential order of mutations associated with cancer development reflects the random chance, throughout life, of a mutagen inactivating a larger versus a smaller target. The hypothesis that the temporal order of genetic changes in cancer reflects mutagen target sizes leads to novel considerations of 1) the mechanisms of the acquisition of cancer hallmarks and 2) cancer screening strategies.
KW - metastasis suppressor proteins
KW - sequential cancer mutations
KW - tumor suppressor proteins
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84868652210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84868652210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1947601911436200
DO - 10.1177/1947601911436200
M3 - Review article
C2 - 22701759
AN - SCOPUS:84868652210
SN - 1947-6019
VL - 2
SP - 927
EP - 931
JO - Genes and Cancer
JF - Genes and Cancer
IS - 10
ER -