Structure and expression of variant BRCA2a lacking the transactivation domain

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes shown to be involved in 90% of f amilial breast cancers and also known to be involved in ovarian and prostat e cancers. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene products are regulated in a cell cycle -dependent manner and have potential transactivation function. Here, we sho w that BRCA2 undergoes differential splicing giving rise to a novel variant protein BRCA2a, lacking putative transcriptional activation domain. Both B RCA2a and BRCA2 are expressed at high levels in thymus and testis but moder ate levels in mammary gland and prostate suggesting that BRCA2a and BRCA2 m ay have a role in the development and differentiation of these tissues.