Overview
- Editors:
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Axel H. Schönthal
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Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and K. Norris Jr. Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles
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Table of contents (24 protocols)
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Studying Consequences of Checkpoint Pathway Activation
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- Xiaofen Ye, Maxim Poustovoitov, Hidelita Santos, David M. Nelson, Peter D. Adams
Pages 261-270
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- Jill A. Mello, Jonathan G. Moggs, Geneviève Almouzni
Pages 271-281
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- Piotr Pozarowski, Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz
Pages 301-311
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- Stéphanie Plenchette, Rodolphe Filomenko, Emmanuelle Logette, Stéphanie Solier, Nelly Buron, Séverine Cathelin et al.
Pages 313-331
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- Katrina E. Gordon, E. Kenneth Parkinson
Pages 333-348
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Back Matter
Pages 349-358
About this book
Intracellular checkpoint controls constitute a network of signal transd- tion pathways that protect cells from external stresses and internal errors. Ext- nal stresses can be generated by the continuous assault of DNA-damaging agents, such as environmental mutagens, ultraviolet (UV) light, ionizing radiation, or the reactive oxygen species that can arise during normal cellular metabolism. In response to any of these assaults on the integrity of the genome, the activation of the network of checkpoint control pathways can lead to diverse cellular responses, such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, or elimination of the cell by cell death (apoptosis) if the damage cannot be repaired. Moreover, internal errors can occur during the highly orchestrated replication of the cellular genome and its distribution into daughter cells. Here, the temporal order of these cell cycle events must be strictly enforced—for example, to ensure that DNA replication is c- plete and occurs only once before cell division, or to monitor mitotic spindle assembly, and to prevent exit from mitosis until chromosome segregation has been completed. Thus, well functioning checkpoint mechanisms are central to the maintenance of genomic integrity and the basic viability of cells and, the- fore, are essential for proper development and survival. The importance of proper functioning of checkpoints becomes plainly obvious under conditions in which this control network malfunctions and fails. Depending on the severity and timing, failure of this machinery can lead to embryonic lethality, genetic diseases, and cancer.
Editors and Affiliations
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Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and K. Norris Jr. Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles
Axel H. Schönthal