The BRCA2 protein functions in double-strand break repair.If a woman is heterozygous for a loss-of-function allele of BRCA2, she

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The BRCA2 protein is crucial for the repair of double-strand breaks in DNA. A heterozygous individual, carrying one normal and one loss-of-function allele, still has a functional DNA repair mechanism due to the presence of the normal allele. However, if the remaining functional allele gets mutated or damaged, the DNA repair mechanism can be compromised, increasing the risk of cancer development. This does not guarantee cancer development but significantly increases the risk, especially for certain types of cancer such as breast and ovarian cancers.

The BRCA2 Protein Functions in Double-Strand Break Repair