Various AGC repeat numbers in the coding region of the human transcription factor gene E2F-4

✍ Scribed by Xiaoling Zhong; Hiromichi Hemmi; Junichi Koike; Kazunori Tsujita; Hiroyuki Shimatake

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 35 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1059-7794
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-1004(200003)15:3<296::aid-humu18>3.0.co;2-x

✦ Synopsis

The E2F family of transcription factors regulates the expression of genes required for DNA synthesis and cell cycle control. The AGC triplet repeat in the coding region of the E2F-4 gene, a member of the family, has been reported to be mutated in colorectal cancers with a microsatellite instability (MSI) phenotype. We found a wider range variation of the repeat number in DNAs from tumors, the corresponding normal mucosa, and healthy individuals. A total of 5 repeat variants, ranging from 8 to 17 AGC repeats, was detected in 6 (9.7%) of the 62 healthy individuals and 8 (8.9%) of the 90 normal DNAs of the patients. The wildtype 13 repeat was present in all of these individuals. The variation of the AGC repeat number may be a polymorphism. Further, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the E2F-4 locus in the tumor tissues of 2 (25%) of the 8 informative cases was detected. The variation may be a useful marker for detection of LOH in primary tumors.