Brca2 in zebrafish ovarian development, spermatogenesis, and tumorigenesis.

ABSTRACT: Humans with inherited mutations in BRCA2 are at increased risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer; however, the relationship between BRCA2 mutation and these cancers is not understood. Studies of Brca2 mutation by gene targeting in mice are limited, given that homozygous Brca2 mutation typically leads to early embryonic lethality. We established a zebrafish line with a nonsense mutation in brca2 exon 11 (brca2(Q658X)), a mutation similar in location and type to BRCA2 mutations found in humans with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. brca2(Q658X) homozygous zebrafish are viable and survive to adulthood; however, juvenile homozygotes fail to develop ovaries during sexual differentiation. Instead, brca2(Q658X) homozygotes develop as infertile males with meiotic arrest in spermatocytes

SUBMITTER: Shive HR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2984219 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature