Deregulated G1-cyclin expression induces genomic instability by preventing efficient pre-RC formation

Although genomic instability is a hallmark of human cancer cells, the mechanisms by which genomic instability is generated and selected for during oncogenesis remain obscure. In most human cancers, the pathway leading to the activation of the G(1) cyclins is deregulated. Using budding yeast as a model, we show that overexpression of the G(1) cyclin Cln2 inhibits the assembly of prereplicative complexes (pre-RCs) and induces gross chromosome rearrangements (GCR). Our results suggest that deregulation of G(1) cyclins, selected for in oncogenesis because it confers clonal growth advantage, may also provide an important mechanism for generating genomic instability by inhibiting replication licensing.