ERC Starting Grant · 2020
DNA Breaks Shape Neural Genome Heterogeneity
Neural progenitor cells undergo tens of thousands of cell divisions to generate the 80 billion neurons in a human brain. In neural progenitor cells, replication stress can lead to recurrent DNA break clusters (RDCs). Joining of two RDC breaks may introduce somatic genomic diversity. On the other hand, unbalanced genomic mosaicism in neural progenitor cells may lead to brain cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. This proposal will test whether cell-autonomous DNA lesions that accumulate during rapid progenitor division contribute to the genetic heterogeneity found across neuronal cell populations. Aim 1 will elucidate how replication stress drives recurrent break clusters in the neural…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.