Deciphering the Code of the Cancer Genome: Mechanisms of Chromosome Rearrangement

Chromosome rearrangement plays a causal role in tumorigenesis by contributing to the inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes, the dysregulated expression or amplification of oncogenes, and to the generation of novel gene fusions. Chromosome breaks are important intermediates in this process. How, when, and where these breaks arise and the specific mechanisms engaged in their repair strongly influence the resulting patterns of chromosome rearrangement. We review recent progress in understanding how particular distinctive features of the cancer genome may arise, including clustered mutagenesis, tandem segmental duplications, complex breakpoints, chromothripsis, chromoplexy, and chromoanasynthesis.