BRCA1
<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">BRCA1 Gene</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Gene Symbol</td>
<td>BRCA1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Full Name</td>
<td>BRCA1 DNA Repair Associated</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Chromosomal Location</td>
<td>17q21.31</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
NCBI Gene ID</td>
<td>672</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
OMIM</td>
<td>113705</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Ensembl ID</td>
<td>ENSG00000012048</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
UniProt</td>
<td>P38398</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Approach</td>
<td>Status</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">PARP inhibitors</td>
<td>Approved (cancer)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">BRCA1 restoration</td>
<td>Research</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">DNA repair enhancement</td>
<td>Research</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Model</td>
<td>Phenotype</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Brca1 knockout mice</td>
<td>Embryonic lethal</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Conditional knockout</td>
<td>Tumor prone</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Brca1 knock-in mutants</td>
<td>Variable</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Humanized models</td>
<td>Disease mimic</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/aging" style="color:#ef9a9a">Aging</a>, <a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">
...BRCA1
<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">BRCA1 Gene</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Gene Symbol</td>
<td>BRCA1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Full Name</td>
<td>BRCA1 DNA Repair Associated</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Chromosomal Location</td>
<td>17q21.31</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
NCBI Gene ID</td>
<td>672</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
OMIM</td>
<td>113705</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
Ensembl ID</td>
<td>ENSG00000012048</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">
UniProt</td>
<td>P38398</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Approach</td>
<td>Status</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">PARP inhibitors</td>
<td>Approved (cancer)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">BRCA1 restoration</td>
<td>Research</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">DNA repair enhancement</td>
<td>Research</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Model</td>
<td>Phenotype</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Brca1 knockout mice</td>
<td>Embryonic lethal</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Conditional knockout</td>
<td>Tumor prone</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Brca1 knock-in mutants</td>
<td>Variable</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Humanized models</td>
<td>Disease mimic</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/aging" style="color:#ef9a9a">Aging</a>, <a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">Als</a>, <a href="/wiki/anxiety" style="color:#ef9a9a">Anxiety</a>, <a href="/wiki/ataxia" style="color:#ef9a9a">Ataxia</a>, <a href="/wiki/breast-cancer" style="color:#ef9a9a">Breast Cancer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">366 edges</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
Introduction
Brca1 Gene is an important component in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.
BRCA1 (Breast Cancer 1)
Overview
BRCA1 (Breast Cancer 1) is a tumor suppressor gene encoding a protein essential for homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair[@narod1994]. While classically associated with breast and ovarian cancer, recent research has revealed important roles for BRCA1 in neuronal survival and its dysfunction contributes to neurodegenerative diseases[@king2003].
Normal Function
BRCA1 is a key component of the DNA damage response machinery:
- Homologous recombination: Facilitates accurate repair of double-strand breaks
- Cell cycle checkpoint: Partners with p53 to arrest cell cycle
- Transcriptional regulation: Controls genes involved in cell cycle and [apoptosis](/entities/apoptosis)
- Chromatin remodeling: Facilitates access to damaged DNA
Expression Pattern
BRCA1 is expressed in most tissues with high expression in:
- Breast and ovarian epithelium
- Testis
- Brain ([neurons](/entities/neurons) and glia)
- Proliferating cells
Disease Associations
Alzheimer's Disease
- BRCA1 deficiency in neurons leads to DNA repair dysfunction[@venkitaraman2014]
- Accumulated DNA damage in AD brains associated with BRCA1 reduction
- May contribute to neuronal death through impaired repair
Parkinson's Disease
- BRCA1-mediated DNA repair important for dopaminergic neurons
- Reduced BRCA1 may contribute to mitochondrial DNA damage
ALS
- DNA damage accumulation in motor neurons
- Some ALS cases show BRCA1 pathway dysfunction
Therapeutic Targeting
Key Publications
<sup>[1]</sup> Roy R, et al. (2012) BRCA1 and BRCA2: different roles in the maintenance of genome stability. Nat Rev Cancer.PMID:23150655
<sup>[2]</sup> Jiang X, et al. (2015) The role of BRCA1 in the nervous system. Adv Exp Med Biol.PMID:25916701
<sup>[3]</sup> Suberbielle E, et al. (2015) DNA repair factor BRCA1 depletion occurs in Alzheimer disease. Nat Neurosci.PMID:25915662DNA Repair Mechanisms
BRCA1 plays a central role in homologous recombination (HR), the most accurate pathway for repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The protein forms a complex with BRCA2 and PALB2 to facilitate RAD51 filament formation on single-stranded DNA ends, enabling strand invasion and repair synthesis. BRCA1 also participates in checkpoint activation through ATM-mediated phosphorylation, halting the cell cycle to allow for proper DNA repair before replication proceeds.
Fanconi Anemia Pathway
BRCA1 is a key component of the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway, which coordinates repair of interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). The FA core complex, including BRCA1, activates the downstream repair machinery through monoubiquitination of FANCD2 and FANCI. Cells lacking functional BRCA1 are hypersensitive to ICL-inducing agents like mitomycin C and cisplatin.
Epigenetic Regulation
Beyond DNA repair, BRCA1 influences gene expression through multiple epigenetic mechanisms:
- [Histone Modifications](/entities/histone-modifications): BRCA1 has histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity and regulates histone H2A/H2B ubiquitination
- Chromatin Remodeling: Interacts with chromatin remodelers like SWI/SNF complexes
- Transcriptional Co-activator: Functions as a co-activator for estrogen receptor and p53-dependent transcription
Therapeutic Implications
PARP Inhibitors
The synthetic lethality between BRCA1 deficiency and PARP inhibition has been exploited therapeutically. PARP inhibitors (olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib) are FDA-approved for BRCA-mutated ovarian and breast cancers. Clinical trials are investigating their use in BRCA-associated pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.
Resistance Mechanisms
Resistance to PARP inhibitors develops through multiple mechanisms:
- Restoration of BRCA1 function through secondary mutations
- Loss of PARP expression or activity
- Activation of alternative repair pathways
- Replication stress tolerance mechanisms
Animal Models
See Also
- [DNA Damage Response](/mechanisms/dna-damage-response)
- [BRCA2 Gene](/proteins/brca2-protein)
- [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
- [Homologous Recombination](/entities/homologous-recombination)
External Links
- [BRCA1 Gene - NCBI](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/672)
- [BRCA1 Protein - UniProt](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P38398)
Background
The study of Brca1 Gene has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.
References
[Narod SA, Foulkes WD, BRCA1 and BRCA2: 1994 and beyond (1994)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15343273/)
[King MC, et al, Breast and ovarian cancer risks due to inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (2003)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14576434/)
[Venkitaraman AR, Cancer suppression by the chromosome custodians, BRCA1 and BRCA2 (2014)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24656531/)
[Brody LC, BRCA1 and BRCA2: at the crossroads of DNA repair and cancer (2022)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35671474/)
[Couch FJ, et al, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation analysis in early-onset breast cancer (1997)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9218007/)Pathway Diagram
Mermaid diagram (expand to render)
Pathway Diagram
The following diagram shows the key molecular relationships involving BRCA1 Gene discovered through SciDEX knowledge graph analysis:
Mermaid diagram (expand to render)