On the Complexity of Mechanisms and Consequences of Chromothripsis: An Update

On the Complexity of Mechanisms and Consequences of Chromothripsis: An Update Alla S. Koltsova1,2, Anna A. Pendina1, Olga A. Efimova1*, Olga G. Chiryaeva1, Tatyana V. Kuznetzova1 and Vladislav S. Baranov1,2 1D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, Saint Petersburg, Russia 2Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia In the present review, we focus on the phenomenon of chromothripsis, a new type of complex chromosomal rearrangements. We discuss the challenges of chromothripsis detection and its distinction from other chromoanagenesis events. Along with already known causes and mechanisms, we introduce aberrant epigenetic regulation as a possible pathway to chromothripsis. We address the issue of chromothripsis characteristics in cancers and benign tumours, as well as chromothripsis inheritance in cases of its occurrence in germ cells, zygotes and early embryos. Summarising the presented data on different phenotypic effect of chromothripsis, we assume that its consequences are most likely determined not by the chromosome shattering and reassembly themselves, but by the genome regions involved in the rearrangement. Introduction Complex chromosomal rearrangements have been found since introduction of cytogenetic techniques. At present, due to development of new molecular-cytogenetic and molecular methods, the nature of CCRs became apparent making possible their classifica...
Source: Frontiers in Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research