A link between the UV rays in sunshine and the development of skin cancer is nothing new. We've all (hopefully) known about the damage sun exposure can wreak on the DNA of unprotected cells. But it's not been known exactly how it causes cancers like squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma. Now, Stanford dermatologists Paul Khavari, MD, PhD and Carolyn Lee, MD, PhD have identified a UV-induced mutation in a protein active during cell division as the likely driver in tens of thousands of cases of skin cancer. Although the protein hasn't been previously associated with cancer, the work of Khavari and Lee suggests it may actually be the most-commonly mutated oncogene in humans.
Their work was published yesterday in Nature Genetics. As we describe in our release:
Lee and Khavari made the discovery while investigating the genetic causes of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. They compared the DNA sequences of genes from the tumor cells with those of normal skin and looked for mutations that occurred only in the tumors. They found 336 candidate genes for further study, including some familiar culprits. The top two most commonly mutated genes were CDKN2A and TP53, which were already known to be associated with squamous cell carcinoma.
The third most commonly mutated gene, KNSTRN, was a surprise. It encodes a protein that helps to form the kinetochore -- a structure that serves as a kind of handle used to pull pairs of newly replicated chromosomes to either end of the cell during cell division. Sequestering the DNA at either end of the cell allows the cell to split along the middle to form two daughter cells, each with the proper complement of chromosomes.
If the chromosomes don't separate correctly, the daughter cells will have abnormal amounts of DNA. These cells with extra or missing chromosomes are known as aneuploid, and they are often severely dysfunctional. They tend to misread cellular cues and to behave erratically. Aneuploidy is a critical early step toward the development of many types of cancer.
Mutations at this UV hotspot are not found in any of the other cancers we investigated. They occur only in skin cancers... Essentially, one ultraviolet-mediated mutation in this region promotes aneuploidy and subsequent tumorigenesis. It is critical to protect the skin from the sun.
Previously: Master regulator for skin development identified by Stanford researchers and My pet tumor - Stanford researchers grow 3D tumor in lab from normal cells
Photo by Michael Coghlin
