Co-mutation of p53,K-rasgenes and accumulation of p53 protein and its correlation to clinicopathological features in rectal cancer

AIM: To determine bhe accuracy of p53 gene mutations predicted by overexpression of p53 protein immunohistochemically,and to investigate the co-mutation of p53 and K-ras genes in rectal cancer and its effect on promoting malignant biologic behaviors of tumors.METHODS: Ninety-seven specimens of rectal cancer were surgically resected in our hospital from August 1996 to October 1997. The hot mutation areas of p53 gene (in exons 5-8) and K-rasgene (in codon 5/12 and 13) were detected with polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP), and overexpression of p53 protein was detected with immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the 97 specimens of rectal cancer. Correlation between gene mutations and tumor clinicopathologic factors was studied, and survival analysis was penfomed as well.RESULTS: There were 36 cases of p53 gene mutations in 61 p53 protein positive cases, and 21 cases of p53 gene non-mutation in 36 p53 protein negative cases respectively.The coincidence rate of p53 gene mutation by IHC method with PCR-SSCP method was 58.8% (57/97). The mutation rate of p53 gene was 52.6% (51/97), while K-ras gene mutation was observed in codons 12 and 13 in 61 cases with a mutation rate of 62.9% (61/97). Single gene mutation of p53 or K-raswas found in 32 cases. Both p53 and K-ras gene mutation were found in 48 cases. Statistical analysis showed that p53 and K-ras gene mutations were not related to the dinicopathologic factors, including tumor size, gross tumor type, histological dassification, differentiation, invasion to intestinal veins, lymphatics and nerves, invasive depth to.wall, lymph node metastasis, and Dukes' stages (P>0.05).The survival in patients with no gene mutation, single gene mutation and both gene mutations were similar (P>0.05).CONCLUSION: IHC has a certain false positive and false negative rate in detecting p53 gene mutations. Malignant biological behaviours of rectal cancer are not enhanced by p53 and K-rasgene mutations. Co-mutation of p53 and K-ras gene has neither synergic carcinogenesis-promoting effect,nor prognostic effect on rectal cancer.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE N-GLYCOSYLATION OF ACETYLGLUCOSAMINYLTRANSFERASE V AND ITS ACTIVITY

Objective. The goal of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the N-glycosylation of acetylglucosaminyltransferase V(Glc NAcT-V) and its activity and to know which site among the 6 N-glycosylation sites in the GlcNAcT-V gene is the most important. Methods.Wild type of GlcNAcTV was transfected into COS7 cells and its activity was measured 48 h later. The first site (Asn 110) was mutated with sitedirected mutagenesis and transfected into COS7 cells. Results. It was found that after the cells were added tunicamycin(TM, 1 μ g/ml), the activity was 117% of the wild type. The activity of the cells with mutating GlcNAcTV was about 120% of the wild type RTPCR showed that there was no significant change in mRNA expression among the three groups. Conclusion.The Nglycosylation is important for its activity. Our results suggest that the Nlinked carbohydrates on GlcNAcTV are required for the posttranscriptional activity of the enzyme.

TWO NOVEL MUTATIONS IN PHENYLALANINE HYDROXYLASE GENE AND IN VITRO EXPRESSION ANALYSIS ON MUTATION ARG252GLN

We report novel mutations in exon 7 of human phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene of phenylketonuria (PKU ) in southern Chinese, analysed by using PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis ), solid phase DNA sequencing and Ih vliro expression. One of the 2 novel mutations, IVS6nt1, is an intron-exon Junctional mutation which results a splicing defect in mRNA. Arg252Gln is another novel mutation with residual PAH activity only 24 % compared to wild type in in vitro mutagenesis and expression in Cos-1 cell. Other 3 known mutations and polymorphism including Arg241Cys, Arg243Gln and Val245Val(GTG to GTA) together with these novel mutations composed the mutatlonal profile of exon 7 in the PAH gene of PKUs in this populations.