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Checkpoint adaptation in human cells

Oncogene volume 26, pages 5833–5839 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Checkpoint adaptation was originally described in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae as the ability to divide following a sustained checkpoint arrest in the presence of unrepairable DNA breaks. A process of checkpoint adaptation was also reported in Xenopus in response to the replication inhibitor aphidicolin. Recently, we showed that checkpoint adaptation also occurs in human cells. Although cells undergoing checkpoint adaptation will frequently die in subsequent cell cycles owing to excessive DNA damage, some of the cells may be able to survive and proliferate with damaged DNA. Thus, checkpoint adaptation in human cells may potentially promote genomic instability and lead to cancer. Here, I discuss the current evidence for checkpoint adaptation in human cells and possible mechanisms and implications of this phenomenon.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Danish National Research Foundation, the Danish Cancer Society and the Danish Medical Research Council. The author thanks Jiri Lukas for critical reading of the paper.

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  1. Institute of Cancer Biology and Centre for Genotoxic Stress Research, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark

    R G Syljuåsen

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  1. R G Syljuåsen
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Correspondence to R G Syljuåsen.

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Syljuåsen, R. Checkpoint adaptation in human cells. Oncogene 26, 5833–5839 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1210402

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