BRCA1

BRCA1 (breast cancer 1, early onset) is a human gene that belongs to a class of genes known as tumor suppressor genes.

Like many other tumor suppressor genes, BRCA1 regulates the cycle of cell division by keeping cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way.

In particular, it inhibits the growth of cells that line the milk ducts in the breast. The protein made by the BRCA1 gene is directly involved in the repair of damaged DNA.

In the nucleus of many types of normal cells, the BRCA1 protein interacts with the protein produced by the RAD51 gene to mend breaks in DNA..

BRCA2

BRCA2 is a human gene that is involved in the repair of chromosomal damage and belongs to a class of genes known as tumor suppressor genes.

Tumor suppressor genes regulate the cycle of cell division by keeping cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way. Although the structures of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are very different, their functions appear to be similar.

The proteins made by both genes are essential for repairing damaged DNA.

The BRCA2 protein binds to and regulates the protein produced by the RAD51 gene to fix breaks in DNA..

Tumor suppressor gene

A tumor suppressor gene is a gene that reduces the probability that a cell in a multicellular organism will turn into a tumor cell.

A mutation or deletion of such a gene will increase the probability of the formation of a tumor..