The human GT198 gene (gene symbol PSMC3IP) is located at chromosome 17q21, 470 kb proximal to BRCA1, a locus previously linked to breast and ovarian cancer predisposition. Its protein product (also known as TBPIP and Hop2) has been shown to regulate steroid hormone receptor-mediated gene activation and to stimulate homologous recombination in DNA repair. Here, we screened germline mutations in GT198 in familial and early-onset breast and ovarian cancer patients. We have identified 8 germline variants in a total of 212 index patients including reoccurring nonsense mutation c.310C>T (p.Q104X) and 5' UTR mutation c.-37A>T, each found in 2 unrelated families. Most identified index patients from cancer families had early onsets with a median age of 35 years. c.310C>T was absent in a total of 564 control individuals analyzed. GT198 gene amplification with an imbalanced mutant copy gain was identified in the blood DNA of one of the patients carrying c.310C>T. When tested, this truncating mutation abolished DNA damage-induced Rad51 foci formation. In addition, we have identified 15 somatic mutations in 2 tumors from 1 patient carrying germline mutation c.-37A>T. The presence of a somatic mutation on the wild-type allele showed that GT198 was biallelically mutated in the tumor. The somatic mutations identified near a splicing junction site caused defective alternative splicing and truncated the open reading frame. Therefore, distinct mutations may cause a similar consequence by truncating the full-length protein and inducing a loss of the wild type. Our study provides the first evidence of the presence of inactivating mutations in GT198 in familial and early-onset breast and ovarian cancer patients. Mutations in GT198, a gene regulating DNA repair, potentially contribute to an increased risk in familial breast and ovarian cancers.
Keywords: GT198; breast and ovarian cancer; gene amplification; mutation.