Determining the Copy Number of Exogenous Gene in Transgenic Plant by SYBR Green Real-time Quantitative PCR

[Objective] To explore the feasibility of using SYBR Green real-time quantitative PCR technique to estimate the copy numbers of exogenous gene in a transgenic plant.[Methods] Using SYBR Green real-time quantitative PCR technique,we have determined the copy numbers of the exogenous CYCD3;1 in transgenic Arabidopsis by comparing an endogenous single copy reference gene with CYCD3;1 copy numbers in transgenic plant,meanwhile comparing CYCD3;1 copy numbers between wild plant and transgenic plant.[Results]The exogenous CYCD3;1 copy numbers calculated by this method is identical with results of traditional Southern blot analysis which is highly accurate.[Conclusion]This method is simple,effective and safe for estimating transgene copy numbers.

Prognostic value of MET, cyclin D1 and MET gene copy number in non-small cell lung cancer

The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation of the expression of MET and cyclin D1 and MET gene copy number in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） tissues and patient clinicopathologic characteristics and sur- vival. Sixty-one NSCLC tissue specimens were included in the study. The expression of MET and cyclin D1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and MET gene copy number was assessed by quantitative real-time polymer- ase chain reaction （Q-PCR）. Positive expression of MET and cyclin D1 protein and increased MET gene copy number occurred in 59.0%, 59.0% and 18.0% of 61 NSCLC tissues, respectively. MET-positivity correlated with poor differentiation （P = 0.009）. Increased MET gene copy number was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis （P = 0.004） and advanced tumor stage （P = 0.048）, while the expression of cyclin D1 was not associ- ated with any clinicopathologic parameters. There was a significant correlation between the expression of MET and MET gene copy number （P = 0.002）. Additionally, the expression of cyclin D1 had a significant association with the expression of MET as well as MET gene copy number （P = 0.002 and P = 0.017, respectively）. MET- positivity and increased MET gene copy number were significantly associated with poor overall survival （P = 0.003 and P 〈 0.001, respectively） in univariate analysis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis confirmed that the expression of MET and MET gene copy number were prognostic indicators of NSCLC （P = 0.003 and P = 0.001, respectively）. The overexpression of MET and the increased MET gene copy number might be adverse prognostic factors for NSCLC patients. The activation of the MET/cyclin D1 signaling pathway may contribute to carcino- genesis and the development of NSCLC, and may represent a target for therapy.

EGFR gene copy number as a predictive biomarker for resistance to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies in metastatic colorectal cancer treatment:a meta-analysis

Objective：The epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） inhibitors monoclonal antibodies （MoAbs） have already shown the therapeutic effectiveness in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer （mCRC）.But many patients resist to the treatment.The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess EGFR gene copy number （GCN） as a candidate predictive biomarker for resistance to anti-EGFR MoAbs in mCRC treatment.Methods：Systematic computerized searches of the PubMed,EMBase and Cochrane Library were performed.The primary endpoint was objective response rate （ORR）.The second endpoints included progression-free survival （PFS）,and overall survival （OS）.The pooled odd ratio （OR） and pooled sensitivity,specificity,and summary receiver operator characteristic （SROC） for ORR were estimated.The pooled hazard ratios （HR） for PFS and OS were also calculated.Results：Fourteen studies with 1,021 patients were included.Increased EGFR GCN was associated with increased ORR （OR=6.905; 95％ CI：4.489-10.620）.It was also found in wild-type KRAS mCRC patients,with the pooled OR of 8.133 （95 ％ CI：4.316-15.326）.GCN has medium value for predicting ORR,with the pooled sensitivity of 0.79 （95％ CI：0.73-0.84）,the pooled specificity of 0.59 （95％ CI：0.55-0.62）.In wildtype KRAS mCRC patients,the sensitivity and the specificity were 0.80 （95％ CI：0.70-0.87） and 0.60 （95％CI：0.53-0.66）,respectively.Increased EGFR GCN was associated with increased PFS （HR=0.557; 95％ CI：0.382-0.732） and OS （HR=0.579; 95％ CI：0.422-0.737）.Conclusions：This meta-analysis suggests that EGFR GCN represents a predictive biomarker for tumor response in mCRC patients treated with MoAbs regardless of KRAS mutation.mCRC patients with increased EGFR GCN are more likely to have a better response,PFS,and OS when treated with cetuximab or panitumumab.

Relationship between epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutation and copy number in Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) gene mutation and copy number are useful predictive markers that guide the selection of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients for EGFR-targeting therapy.This study aimed to investigate the correlation between EGFR gene mutation and copy number and clinicopathologic characteristics of Chinese patients with NSCLC.NSCLC specimens collected from 205 patients between November 2009 and January 2011 were selected to detect EGFR gene mutations with real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and to detect EGFR gene copy number with fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH).EGFR mutations primarily occurred in females,non-smokers,and patients with adenocarinomas(all P < 0.001).Tissues from 128(62%) patients were FISH-positive for EGFR,including 37(18%) with gene amplification and 91(44%) with high polysomy.EGFR gene mutation was correlated with FISH-positive status(R = 0.340,P < 0.001).Multivariate analysis showed that not smoking(OR = 5.910,95% CI = 2.363-14.779,P < 0.001) and having adenocarcinoma(OR = 0.122,95% CI = 0.026-0.581,P = 0.008) were favorable factors for EGFR gene mutation.These results show a high frequency of EGFR FISH positivity in NSCLC tissues from Chinese patients and a significant relevance between EGFR gene mutations and FISH-positive status.Among the FISH-positive samples,EGFR gene mutation occurred more frequently in samples with gene amplification compared to those with high polysomy,suggesting that EGFR mutation and gene amplification should be used as clinical decision parameters to predict response to EGFR-targeting therapy.

Effects of NPY Gene on Total Number of Eggs at 300 Days of Age in Donglan Black-bone Chicken

In this study, PCR-RFLP technique was employed to detect the genetic polymorphism of NPY gene and analyze the effects of various genotypes on the total number of eggs at 300 days of age in 135 Donglan black-bone chicken. According to the results, there were three genotypes （AA, AB and BB） of NPYgene in Donglan black-bone chicken group. Different genotypes exhibited significant effects （P 〈 0. 05 ） on the total number of eggs at 300 days of age. The total number of eggs at 300 days of age of AA genotype was significantly higher than that of BB genotype （P 〈 0. 05）. Therefore, the polymorphic site of NPY gene could be used as a candidate molecular marker that affects egg laying in Donglan black-bone chicken.

Varying Tolerance to Glyphosate in a Population of Palmer Amaranth with Low EPSPS Gene Copy Number

A Palmer amaranth population (seeds collected in the year 2000;Washington Co., MS) suspected to be susceptible to glyphosate was examined as a population and as individual plants and found to exhibit varying tolerance or resistance to glyphosate. Whole plant spraying of glyphosate (0.84 kg·ha?1) to the population revealed that approximately 40% of this population were resistant to glyphosate and an LD50 of 0.75 kg·ha?1 was determined. Spray application of glyphosate indicated that some plants displayed varying degrees of resistance 14 days after treatment. Initial tests using leaf disc bioassays on 10 individual plants selected randomly from the population, allowed characterization of glyphosate resistance using both visual ratings of injury and quantitative measurement via chlorophyll content analysis. After initial bioassays and spray application, five plants with a range of tolerance to glyphosate were selected for cloning so that further studies could be accomplished on these individuals. Q-PCR analysis of these clones showed that resistance was not due to elevated EPSPS gene copy number. Shikimate levels were lower in the resistant and higher in the susceptible clones which correlated with varying degrees of resistance demonstrated in bioassays and spray application of glyphosate of these clones. Results demonstrate that individuals in a population can vary widely with respect to herbicide resistance and suggest that uptake, translocation, sequestration, metabolism or altered target site may contribute to the resistance in some individuals of this population.

NDRG2 gene copy number is not altered in colorectal carcinoma

AIM To investigate if the down-regulation of N-myc Downstream Regulated Gene 2(NDRG2) expression in colorectal carcinoma(CRC) is due to loss of the NDRG2 allele(s).METHODS The following were investigated in the human colorectal cancer cell lines DLD-1, Lo Vo and SW-480: NDRG2 mRNA expression levels using quantitative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR); interaction of the MYC gene-regulatory protein with the NDRG2 promoter using chromatin immunoprecipitation; and NDRG2 promoter methylation using bisulfite sequencing.Furthermore, we performed qPCR to analyse the copy numbers of NDRG2 and MYC genes in the above three cell lines, 8 normal colorectal tissue samples and 40 CRC tissue samples.RESULTS As expected, NDRG2 mRNA levels were low in the three colorectal cancer cell lines, compared to normal colon.Endogenous MYC protein interacted with the NDRG2 core promoter in all three cell lines.In addition, the NDRG2 promoter was heavily methylated in these cell lines, suggesting an epigenetic regulatory mechanism.Unaltered gene copy numbers of NDRG2 were observed in the three cell lines.In the colorectal tissues, one normal and three CRC samples showed partial or complete loss of one NDRG2 allele.In contrast, the MYC gene was amplified in one cell line and in more than 40% of the CRC cases.CONCLUSION Our study suggests that the reduction in NDRG2 expression observed in CRC is due to transcriptional repression by MYC and promoter methylation, and is not due to allelic loss.

Integrated Analysis of the Gene Expression Profiling and Copy Number Aberration of the Ovarian Cancer

Objective: DNA copy number alterations and difference expression are frequently observed in ovarian cancer. The purpose of this way was to pinpoint gene expression change that was associated with alterations in DNA copy number and could therefore enlighten some potential oncogenes and stability genes with functional roles in cancers, and investigated the bioinformatics significance for those correlated genes. Method: We obtained the DNA copy number and mRNA expression data from the Cancer Genomic Atlas and identified the most statistically significant copy number alteration regions using the GISTIC. Then identified the significance genes between the tumor samples within the copy number alteration regions and analyzed the correlation using a binary matrix. The selected genes were subjected to bioinformatics analysis using GSEA tool. Results: GISTIC analysis results showed there were 45 significance copy number amplification regions in the ovarian cancer, SAM and Fisher’s exact test found there have 40 genes can affect the expression level, which located in the amplification regions. That means we obtained 40 genes which have a correlation between copy number amplification and drastic up- and down-expression, which p-value < 0.05 (Fisher’s exact test) and an FDR < 0.05. GSEA enrichment analysis found these genes were overlapped with the several published studies which were focused on the gene study of tumorigenesis. Conclusion: The use of statistics and bioinformatics to analyze the microarray data can found an interaction network involved. The combination of the copy number data and expression has provided a short list of candidate genes that are consistent with tumor driving roles. These would offer new ideas for early diagnosis and treat target of ovarian cancer.

Associations between IL-1RN variable number of tandem repeat, IL-1β (-511) and IL-1β (+3954) gene polymorphisms and urolithiasis in Uighur children of China

Objective:Interleukin-1(IL-1)is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which may be related to urolithiasis.Genetic polymorphisms of the interleukin-1beta(IL-1β)have been proposed as markers for urolithiasis in some areas.Due to the high incidence of urolithiasis in Uighur children(Xinjiang,China)and existence of ethnic difference,our aim is to explore the potential of IL-1 gene polymorphisms and urolithiasis among these children.Methods:Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood of 115 patients and 98 controls were used for genotype polymorphisms analyses.IL-1 receptor antagonist(IL-1RN)gene variable number of tandem repeat(VNTR)gene polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR method.PCR-based restriction analysis was done for the IL-1β(-511)and IL-1β(+3954)gene polymorphisms by endonucleases Ava I and Taq I,respectively.The genotype distribution,allele frequencies,carriage rate,and haplotype frequencies were statistically analyzed.Results:No significant differences were observed in genotypic frequencies between pediatric urolithiasis patients and control group for IL-1RN gene(χ^(2)=1.906,p=0.605),IL-1β(-511)gene(χ^(2)=0.105,p=0.949),or IL-1β(+3954)gene(χ^(2)=3.635,p=0.169).There were yet no significant differences of the allele frequencies of IL-1RN VNTR gene(p=0.779),IL-1β(-511)gene(p=0.941),and IL-1β(+3954)gene(p=0.418)in the case and control groups,as well as the carriage rate and haplotype of them(all p>0.05).Conclusions:The associations between IL-1RN VNTR,IL-1β(-511)and IL-1β(+3954)genes polymorphisms and urolithiasis were not significant in Uighur children.The results need to be confirmed in studies with larger population sample size,as well as in other ethnic groups.

A proteomic approach to investigate the qualitative and quantitative polymorphism of <i>β</i>-lactoglobulin in ovine milk: Inference on gene copy-number variations

The rationale of this work is based on recent evidences suggesting that: 1) both qualitative and quantitative β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) polymorphism may be found in bovine milk;2) quantitative polymorphisms are often the result of expression gradients in multiple copies of a gene;3) the β-LG gene is duplicated in the dog and bovine genome;4) mammary genes are highly conserved across Mammalia. Thus, an investigation was conducted on ovine β-LG polymorphism checking phenotypic evidence for copy-number variants of β-LG in sheep. To the purpose, 206 milk samples were collected, during a small-scale survey within sheep farms breeding Southern Italian breeds. PAGIF screening of the samples revealed that approximately 50% individuals exhibited β-LG polymorphism and 4 different quantitative patterns, which were characterized in detail by a proteomic approach relying on combined chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. The expected figures based on the expression gradient models were compared with well-established α-globin gene arrangements in sheep. The different phenotypes suggest the presence of both duplicate and triplicate BLG haplotypes. The occurrence of a triplicate haplotype was supported by population data. The current study supports the helpfulness of up-to-date proteomics for inferring copy number polymorphisms through the characterization of the phenotypic expression.

Target genes discovery through copy number alteration analysis in human hepatocellular carcinoma

High-throughput short-read sequencing of exomes and whole cancer genomes in multiple human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cohorts confirmed previously identified frequently mutated somatic genes,such as TP53,CTNNB1 and AXIN1,and identified several novel genes with moderate mutation frequencies,including ARID1A,ARID2,MLL,MLL2,MLL3,MLL4,IRF2,ATM,CDKN2A,FGF19,PIK3CA,RPS6KA3,JAK1,KEAP1,NFE2L2,C16orf62,LEPR,RAC2,and IL6ST.Functional classification of these mutated genes suggested that alterations in pathways participating in chromatin remodeling,Wnt/β-catenin signaling,JAK/STAT signaling,and oxidative stress play critical roles in HCC tumorigenesis.Nevertheless,because there are few druggable genes used in HCC therapy,the identification of new therapeutic targets through integrated genomic approaches remains an important task.Because a large amount of HCC genomic data genotyped by high density single nucleotide polymorphism arrays is deposited in the public domain,copy number alteration(CNA)analyses of these arrays is a cost-effective way to reveal target genes through profiling of recurrent and overlapping amplicons,homozygous deletions and potentially unbalanced chromosomal translocations accumulated during HCC progression.Moreover,integration of CNAs with other high-throughput genomic data,such as aberrantly coding transcriptomes and non-coding gene expression in human HCC tissues and rodent HCC models,provides lines of evidence that can be used to facilitate the identification of novel HCC target genes with the potential of improving the survival of HCC patients.

Occurrence of Fibonacci numbers in development and structure of animal forms: Phylogenetic observations and epigenetic significance

A survey of zoological literature affirmed the wide occurrence of Fibonacci numbers in the organization of acellular and prokaryotic life forms as well as in some eukaryotic protistans and in the embryonic development and adult forms of many living and fossil remains of metazoan animals. A detailed comparative analysis of the axial skeleton of a fossil fish and humans revealed a new rule of the “nested triad” of bones organized along the proximal to distal axis of limb appendages. This growth pattern and its ubiquity among living vertebrates appear to underlie a profound rule of pattern formation that is dictated in part by the genetics and epigenetic mechanisms of stem cell clonal development.

槐山羊KMT2E基因突变与产羔性状相关性分析

为了探索槐山羊KMT2E基因单核苷酸多态性(SNP)位点与产羔数之间的关系,试验以不同产羔数的槐山羊群体为对象,采用DNA测序方法对KMT2E基因的SNP位点进行筛选,并将SNP位点与槐山羊产羔数进行关联分析。结果表明:在KMT2E基因中发现g.74006387 C>A和g.74006801 A>T两个SNPs位点,各检测到3种基因型,g.74006387 C>A位点基因型为AC型、CC型和AA型,g.74006801 A>T位点基因型为AA型、TT型和AT型。g.74006387 C>A位点C为优势等位基因,等位基因频率为0.7500;g.74006801 A>T位点T为优势等位基因,等位基因频率为0.7213。两个突变位点杂合度较高,均处于中间多态性,且处于Hardy-Weinberg不平衡状态。连锁不平衡分析发现,两个SNPs位点之间属于弱连锁不平衡状态(D′<0.8,r^(2)<0.33)。突变后,mRNA二级结构发生改变,自由能由-8.06×10^(6) J/mol升高至-8.05×10^(6) J/mol;g.74006387 C>A位点和g.74006801 A>T位点的不同基因型与产羔数相关性均不显著(P>0.05)。说明槐山羊KMT2E基因的g.74006387 C>A和g.74006801 A>T位点均不适合作为槐山羊高繁殖性状的分子标记。

The diverse heterogeneity of molecular alterations in prostate cancer identified through next-generation sequencing

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of global cancer-related death but attempts to improve diagnoses and develop novel therapies have been confounded by significant patient heterogeneity. In recent years, the application of next-generation sequencing to hundreds of prostate tumours has defined novel molecular subtypes and characterized extensive genomic aberration underlying disease initiation and progression. It is now clear that the heterogeneity observed in the clinic is underpinned by a molecular landscape rife with complexity, where genomic rearrangements and rare mutations combine to amplify transcriptomic diversity. This review dissects our current understanding of prostate cancer ＇omics＇, including the sentinel role of copy number variation, the growing spectrum of oncogenic fusion genes, the potential influence of chromothripsis, and breakthroughs in defining mutation-associated subtypes. Increasing evidence suggests that genomic lesions frequently converge on specific cellular functions and signalling pathways, yet recurrent gene aberration appears rare. Therefore, it is critical that we continue to define individual tumour genomes, especially in the context of their expressed transcriptome. Only through improved characterisation of tumour to tumour variability can we advance to an age of precision therapy and personalized oncology.

Deletion and down-regulation of SMAD4 gene in colorectal cancers in a Chinese population

Objective： Colorectal cancer（CRC） is one of the most common types of human cancers. As a tumor suppressor, SMAD4 plays a key role in colorectal carcinogenesis and invasiveness. Copy number variations（CNVs） of the SMAD4 gene have been reported to be associated with cancer pathogenesis in array-based studies in different populations. Here we aimed to investigate the CNVs of the SMAD4 gene in a relatively large number of CRC patients from China. Methods： In the present study, we collected 147 Chinese CRC tumors as well as self-paired normal control tissues. Quantitative PCR was carried out to examine the copy number as well as the m RNA expression of the SMAD4 gene. Results： Our results showed that the copy number deletions of SMAD4 were frequent in a relatively high percentage of CRC samples（34.7%, 51 out of 147）. There was a positive correlation between the copy number decrease of SMAD4 and tumor progression in CRCs. Furthermore, copy number loss of SMAD4 was correlated with decreased m RNA expression.Conclusions： These findings suggested that the copy number deletions of SMAD4 were frequent in CRC patients from China and had the potential to serve as a diagnostic indicator, alone or in combination with other markers, for CRC.

Combinatorial Effects of SDF-1 and CCL3L1 Gene Variants and Susceptibility to HIV-1/AIDS in Indian Population

HIV-1 infection requires the expression of CD4＋ molecules in colligation with C-C chemokine receptor type 5 （CCR5） and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 （CXCR4） as the major coreceptors. The role of SNP in 3＇ untranslated region ofSDF-1 （SDF1-3 ＇A） and low copy number （CN） of the CCL3L1 gene is reported to confer increased resistance to HIV-1 infection. The aim of the present study was to analyze the combinatorial effect of both the variations in protection towards HIV-1 infection in Indian population. The combinatorial effect of genetic variation in terms of SNP in SDF-1 gene and CCL3L1 CN was investigated in 105 healthy individuals and 78 HIV-I patients. Genotyping of SDF-1 was performed by RFLP-PCR and CCL3L1 by real-time PCR using TaqMan chemistry. The genotype frequency distribution of SDF-1 was found to be （SDF-1/SDF-I： 65.4%, SDF-1/SDF1-3＇A： 29.5% and SDFI-3＇A/SDF1-3＇A- 5.1%） in HIV patients as compared to （SDF-1/SDF-I： 64.8%, SDF-1/SDF1-3＇A： 30.5% and SDF1-3 ＇A/SDF1-3 ＇A： 4.7%） in healthy individuals, whereas a range of 1 to 6 copies per diploid genome was observed for CCL3L1 gene.

A Panel of Genes Identified as Targets for 8q24.13-24.3 Gain Contributing to Unfavorable Overall Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Copy number aberrations （CNAs） in chromosome arm 8q have been associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes of several cancers and progressive tumor characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. This study was to identify correlation of CNAs in 8q with clinical outcomes of HCC patients, and further screen for differentially expressed genes in outcome-related CNAs. Array comparative genomic hybridization and expression arrays were performed to detect CNAs and expression levels, respectively. The correlations between CNAs in 8q and outcomes were analyzed in 66 patients, with a median follow-up time of 45.0 months （range, 2.6-108.6 months）. One hundred and nine cases were further evaluated to identify differentially expressed genes in the potential outcome-related CNAs. Copy number gain in 8q was observed in 22 （33.3%） of the 66 HCC cases. The most recurrent gains （with frequencies 〉20%） were 8q 13.3-21.3, 8q21.3-23.3, 8q23.3-24.13, 8q24.13-24.3, and 8q24.3. Survival analysis showed that 8q24.13-24.3 gain was significantly associated with reduced overall survival （P=0.010）. Multivariate Cox analysis identified 8q24.13- 24.3 gain as an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival （HR=2.47; 95% CI=1.16-5.26; P=0.019）. A panel of 17 genes within the 8q24.13-24.3 region, including ATAD2, SQLE, PVT1, ASAP1, and NDRG1 were significantly upregulated in HCCs with 8q24.13-24.3 gain compared to those without. These results suggest that copy number gain at 8q24.13-24.3 is an unfavorable prognostic marker for HCC patients, and the potential oncogenes ATAD2, SQLE, PVT1, ASAP1, and NDRG1 within the regional gain, may contribute coordinately to the 8q24.13-24.3 gain-related poor prognosis.

The Difference of the Copy Number Variation and Loss of Heterozygosity of Human Lung Large Cell Cancer Cell Line with Different Metastatic Potential

Background and Objective It has been proven that copy number gain/or loss (copy number variation CNV) in uences gene expression and result in phenotypic variation by

Quantitative trait loci for the number of vertebrae on Sus scrofa chromosomes 1 and 7 independently influence the numbers of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in pigs

Although quantitative trait loci（QTLs） for number of thoracic-lumbar vertebrae have been identified on Sus scrofa chromosomes（SSCs） 1 and 7, the influence of these QTLs on the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae is not clear. The aim of this study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms（SNPs） associated with total number of thoracic-lumbar vertebrae and for each trait（number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae） separately. A total of 581 individuals from an F2 Large White×Minzhu population were genotyped using an SNP60 K chip. Performing a genome-wide association study（GWAS） for total number of thoracic-lumbar vertebrae, 38 significant SNPs were identified in two QTL regions located on SSC1 and SSC7. Performing a GWAS for number of thoracic vertebrae only, 72 significant SNPs were located on SSC7. While performing a GWAS for number of lumbar vertebrae only, 17 significant SNPs were identified on SSC1. Gene mining suggested that the gene encoding orphan nuclear receptor, germ cell nuclear factor（NR6A1） on SSC1 was a strong candidate affecting the number of lumbar vertebrae in pigs. Additionally, genes encoding vertnin（VRTN）, prospero homeobox 2（PROX2）, Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog（FOS）, and transforming growth factor beta 3（TGFB3） may be important candidates affecting the number of thoracic vertebrae in pigs. QTLs on SSC1 and SSC7 independently influenced the numbers of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. These results shed light on the complex genetic background of vertebrae development in pigs.

Study on genetic polymorphisms of DCC gene VNTR in esophageal cancer

Objective: To observe the distribution pattern of genetic polymorphisms of gene variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in the deleted gene in colorectal cancer (DCC) on Shaanxi people, and discuss the possible association between it and the susceptibility of esophageal cancer. Methods: Polymorphisms of DCC gene VNTR was studied with PCR in blood samples of 56 unrelated individuals and 49 esophageal cancer samples and 34 pericancerous samples in Shaanxi people. Results: There were 11 alleies wing from 167 bp to 210 bp in all subjects. The range of allele frequencies was from 0.009 to 0. 188, and allele A3, A4, A7 and A9 were more frequent in the control. The polymorphism information content(PIC) of DCC gene VNTR was 0.879,the heterozygosity(H) was 73.2% in the control. The allele frequency of DCC gene VNTR polymorphism in esophageal cancer was significantly different from that of control(P < 0. 01 ). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that polymorphism of DCC gene VNTR might be associated with the susceptibility of esophageal cancer.