Description
SPRINGER Checkpoint Controls And Cancer 2004 Edition by SCHÖNTHAL, AXEL H
Intracellular checkpoint controls constitute a network of signal transd- tion pathways that protect cells from external stresses and internal errors. Ext- nal stresses can be generated by the continuous assault of DNA-damaging agents, such as environmental mutagens, ultraviolet (UV) light, ionizing radiation, or the reactive oxygen species that can arise during normal cellular metabolism. In response to any of these assaults on the integrity of the genome, the activation of the network of checkpoint control pathways can lead to diverse cellular responses, such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, or elimination of the cell by cell death (apoptosis) if the damage cannot be repaired. Moreover, internal errors can occur during the highly orchestrated replication of the cellular genome and its distribution into daughter cells. Here, the temporal order of these cell cycle events must be strictly enforced-for example, to ensure that DNA replication is c- plete and occurs only once before cell division, or to monitor mitotic spindle assembly, and to prevent exit from mitosis until chromosome segregation has been completed. Thus, well functioning checkpoint mechanisms are central to the maintenance of genomic integrity and the basic viability of cells and, the- fore, are essential for proper development and survival. The importance of proper functioning of checkpoints becomes plainly obvious under conditions in which this control network malfunctions and fails. Depending on the severity and timing, failure of this machinery can lead to embryonic lethality, genetic diseases, and cancer. Part I. Reviews of Checkpoint Controls, Their Involvement in the Development of Cancer, and Approaches to Their InvestigationG1 and S-Phase Checkpoints, Chromosome Instability, and CancerHiroshi NojimaAnalyzing the G2/M CheckpointGeorge R. Stark and William R. TaylorAnalyzing the Spindle Checkpoint in Yeast and FrogsP. Todd Stukenberg and Daniel J. BurkeCell Cycle Checkpoint Control Mechanisms That Can Be Disrupted in CancerBipin C. Dash and Wafik El-DeiryPart II. Analyzing Checkpoint Controls in Diverse Model SystemsEstablishment of a Cell-Free System to Study the Activation of Chk2Xingzhi Xu and David F. SternAnalyzing Checkpoint Controls in Human SkinSandra Pavey and Brian G. GabrielliGeneration and Analysis of Brca1 Conditional Knockout MiceChu-Xia Deng and Xiaoling XuAnalysis of Cell Cycle Progression and Genomic Integrity in Early Lethal KnockoutsEric J. BrownXenopus Cell-Free Extracts to Study the DNA Damage ResponseVincenzo Costanzo, Kirsten Robertson, and Jean GautierA Xenopus Cell-Free System for Functional Analysis of the Chfr Ubiquitin Ligase Involved in Control of Mitotic EntryDongmin Kang, Jim Wong, and Guowei FangControl of Mitotic Entry After DNA Damage in DrosophilaBurnley Jaklevic, Amanda Purdy, and Tin Tin SuMethods for Analyzing Checkpoint Responses in Caenorhabditis elegansAnton Gartner, Amy J. MacQueen, and Anne M. VilleneuveAssaying the Spindle Checkpoint in the Budding Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiaeChristopher M. Yellman and Daniel J. BurkePurification and Analysis of Checkpoint Protein Complexes From Saccharomyces cerevisiaeCatherine M. Green and Noel F. LowndesIndex