Role of MAGE proteins in the stability of genome

Abstract

All living organisms is made up of DNA; a molecule that contains information needed for organism’s development and function. This molecule codes set of instructions known as genes which are organised into various structures called Chromosomes. The entire of chromosome structure makes up the genome which must be transmitted through generations without integrity comprise for life to continue in its original make up. The genome is reliable to several modifications and damages following normal physiological activities and other factors capable of causing physical and chemical changes in the structure of the DNA. Genome make up also includes complex cellular signal machinery involved in recognition of DNA damages, signalling/recruitment of repair factors, inducing specific repair pathway depending on the type of damage and finally the repair of the DNA damage. These series of activities by cellular signal complex ensures the maintenance of genomic integrity.
Recently, a new set of protein called MAGEs has been found to be involved in the DNA damage signal complex machinery. These proteins are known to be expressed in testis for its normal physiological development but the therapeutic challenges of cancer has led researchers into discovery the involvement of MAGEs in maintaining intact genome of cancer cells. MAGE proteins ability to hamper cancer treatment through several mechanisms that centred on association and altering DNA damage repair proteins has been linked to being a predecessor of an important protein involved in chromatin structure organization and replication; the Structural Maintenance of Chromosome (SMC). In this review, the detailed important of SMC in genome maintenance is discussed as well as its relationship with MAGEs as ancestral MAGE. The role of SMC and MAGE in maintenance of genome both during replication and repair of DNA damages after replication is discussed.

Date of Award	Jun 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Namur
Supervisor	Olivier De Backer (Supervisor)