In the United States, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women. According to the American Cancer Society's most recent estimates for breast cancer in the United States, there are about 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 60,000 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS), and approximately 40,000 deaths from breast cancer this year.
A predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer has been linked to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. In cells where the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are defective, there are indications of gross chromosomal rearrangements and breakage. Antibody studies have shown that the RAD51L1 protein specifically targets and fixes double stranded DNA breaks, which are the main cause of the genomic instability in these cells, via the RAD51-mediated DNA repair system (PMID: 15065660).
-Western-Blot-NB100-176-img0001.jpg "Western Blot: Rad51L1 Antibody")
RAD51L1 also known as DNA repair protein RAD51 homolog 2, RAD51 homolog B, RAD51-like protein 1, RAD51L1, RAD51B, REC2, and R51H2, is a member of the RAD51 protein family and is involved in the early stages of the homologous recombination repair pathway. Homologous recombination occurs before the cell enters mitosis; during and shortly after DNA replication when sister chromatids are present. The 5’ end of the damaged DNA molecule is cut away and the open 3’ end, where RAD51L1 binds and forms a helical nucleoprotein filament, then invades a similar or identical portion of an another intact DNA molecule (PMID: 19329439). BRCA1 and BRCA2 work in conjunction with the RAD51 paralogues (RAD51C, RAD51D, XRCC2, and XRCC3), and some recombination proteins (RAD52, RAD54, RPA, and EVL) to create the RAD51L1 helical nucleoprotein filament (PMID: 19329439, PMID: 15065660). Studies have found that cells with defective BRCA genes fail to create RAD51L1 filaments, and therefore have a lowered cellular repair capacity that can lead to complications such as unregulated cell division and the formation of cancerous tumors (PMID: 15065660, PMID: 20610542).
Please see our website for antibodies, proteins and other reagents related to RAD51L1, homologous recombination, BRCA1, and BRCA2, or contact our technical support department (technical@novusbio.com) for additional details.
