The researchers also report that loss of MHF1 alone disrupts normal function of the entire FA pathway. In fact, when the researchers suppressed MHF1, it destabilized FANCM and caused increased chromosome aberrations after exposure to capothecin, an agent that causes ICLs.

As they move forward with their research, the investigators next want to analyze cells from people who have Fanconi anemia to see if they detect mutations in MHF1 or MHF2 that could help explain genetic instability in these patients, said Thiyam Ramsing Singh, Ph.D., first author on the study and a member of Dr. Meetei's laboratory.

The precise molecular functions of the FA pathway and how they influence the development of cancers are still being uncovered. The identification of FANCM as part of the FA core complex and its DNA repair function was an important step forward, and was first reported in 2005 by Dr. Meetei and his research colleagues.

Source: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center