There is increasing evidence that genetic instability underlies the pathogenesis of many cancers, particularly solid tumors. It was recently demonstrated that chromosomal instability (CIN), which occurs in most sporadic colorectal cancers, can be caused by mutations in mitotic-spindle-checkpoint genes. Microsatellite instability (MIN) occurs in most hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancers (HNPCCs), and is caused by mutation in mismatch-repair genes. Mutations causing CIN and MIN increase tumor heterogeneity, which is thought to drive tumor progression and complicate anticancer drug therapies. However, because these mutations also distinguish tumor cells from normal cells, they may provide critical avenues for the identification of anticancer drug targets. The S. cerevisiae genes BUB1 and MSH2 are homologous to genes known to cause CIN and MIN in human tumors. The existence of yeast homologs of genes with fundamental roles in cancer pathogenesis should allow the identification of anticancer drug targets using synthetic lethal analysis. Synthetic lethal analysis is a technique used by yeast geneticists to identify genes that, when mutated, result in lethality to the cell in the context of mutations in previously characterized genes. Yeast with mutations in BUB1 and MSH2 are known to be viable. Using synthetic lethal analysis, one can identify genes that, when mutated, result in synthetic lethality with BUB1 or MSH2 mutations. The proteins encoded by the human homologs of genes that bring about synthetic lethality represent potential drug targets for cancers with mutations in hBUB1 or hMSH2.
The Specific Aims are: 1) To identify genes by synthetic lethal analysis that are required for the viability of S. cerevisiae strains lacking BUB1. A bub1 ade2 ade3 strain rescued by a BUB1- ADE3 plasmid will be mutagenized and screened for non-sectored colonies on a non-selective medium. Synthetic lethality of mutated genes with bub1 will be confirmed and the wild-type versions will be cloned by complementation. 2) To identify genes by synthetic lethal analysis that are required for the viability of S. cerevisiae strains lacking MSH2. The analysis described in Specific Aim 1, for BUB1, will be performed for MSH2.
