Regulation of Mitotic DNA Damage by the Retinoblastoma Tumor Suppressor Protein

Gurska, Lindsay Meg

Student Work

Regulation of Mitotic DNA Damage by the Retinoblastoma Tumor Suppressor Protein

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Function of the retinoblastoma protein, a master cell cycle regulator, is compromised in the majority of cancers. Loss of pRB is known to promote DNA damage during interphase, but its impact during mitosis remains unclear. My work demonstrates a novel role for pRB such that its loss promotes high levels of DNA damage in mitotic cells, without compromising the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint. Instead, pRB-deficient cells acquire new damage during mitosis. More specifically, in pRB-deficient cells yH2AX DNA damage foci are present during normal mitotic timing, exacerbated in response to prolonged mitotic arrest, and accumulate more quickly in pRB-deficient cells than in control cells. Together this data suggests that pRB functions to protect against DNA damage during mitosis.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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