Table 2 |.

Functions of commonly mutated inherited genes associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer^*

Gene	Protein	Protein function
BRCA1	Breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein	Crucially involved in the repair of double-strand breaks by homologous recombination Serves as a scaffold for other proteins involved in double-strand DNA repair, mostly through defective homologous recombination Stabilizes RAD51-ssDNA complexes
BRCA2	Breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein
BARD1	BRCA1-associated RING domain protein 1	Forms a heterodimer with BRCA1 The BRCA1-BARD1 complex is essential for mutual stability
BRIP1	BRCA1-interacting protein 1 (also known as Fanconi anaemia group J protein)	Binds to BRCA1 The BRCA1-BRIP1 complex is required for S phase checkpoint activation
PALB2	Partner and localizer of BRCA2	A bridging protein that connects BRCA1 and BRCA2 at sites of DNA damage Helps load RAD51 onto ssDNA
RAD51C	DNA repair protein RAD51 homologue 3	Strand exchange proteins that bind to ssDNA breaks to form nucleoprotein filaments and initiate DNA repair
RAD51D	DNA repair protein RAD51 homologue 4
MSH2	MutS protein homologue 2	Mismatch repair proteins that recognize and repair base-pairing errors occurring during DNA replication Mutations in mismatch repair genes are associated with Lynch syndrome
MLH1	MutL protein homologue 1
MSH6	MutS protein homologue 6
PMS2	Mismatch repair endonuclease PMS2

ssDNA, single-stranded DNA.

^*See REFS 26,30–36.