Lymphocytes of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germ-line mutation carriers, with or without breast cancer, are not abnormally sensitive to the chromosome damaging effect of moderate folate deficiency

Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may cause defective DNA repair and increase risk for breast cancer. Folate deficiency is associated with increased breast cancer risk and induces chromosome abnormalities. We hypothesised that BRCA1 and BRCA2 germ-line mutation carriers are more sensitive to the genome damaging effect of folate deficiency compared to healthy non-carrier controls and that this sensitivity is further increased in those carriers who develop breast cancer. We tested these hypotheses in lymphocytes cultured in medium containing 12 nM or 120 nM folic acid (FA) for 9 days and measured proliferative capacity and chromosomal instability using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers with or without breast cancer were not abnormally sensitive to FA deficiency-induced chromosome instability however BRCA2 mutation carriers had significantly reduced cell proliferation. FA deficiency reduced cell proliferation and increased micronucleus formation significantly accounting for 45-59% and 70-75% of the variance in these parameters compared to 0.3-8.5% and 0.2-0.3% contributed by BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carrier status respectively. The results of this study suggest that moderate folate deficiency has a stronger effect on chromosomal instability than BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations found in breast cancer families.Sasja Beetstra, Carolyn Salisbury, Julie Turner, Meryl Altree, Ross McKinnon, Graeme Suthers and Michael Fenec

Women’s empowerment in agriculture: level, inequality, progress, and impact on productivity and efficiency

This paper examines level, inequality, and change in women’s empowerment in agriculture and its impact on crop productivity and efficiency using a nationally representative Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) of 5,780 and 6,195 households from the same villages in Bangladesh in 2012 and 2015 conducted by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Results reveal that although women’s empowerment score increased significantly from 0.64 to 0.73 between 2012 to 2015, only the top 40 per cent of households have an adequate level of women’s empowerment in agriculture, that is, scored above the threshold level of 0.80. The gender-gap in empowerment also reduced significantly from 0.23 to 0.20 during the same period. Female labour input significantly increases productivity. Both women’s empowerment in agriculture and a reduction in the gender-gap in empowerment significantly increase production efficiency as expected. Efficiency is significantly lower in the Feed the Future Zone. However, female labour use and female education significantly reduce efficiency although the effects are relatively small. The findings argue for policies specifically targeting women to enhance women’s empowerment in agriculture and reduce the gender-gap in empowerment