Mutational analysis of caspase-14 gene in common carcinomas.

Abstract

AIMS:

Whereas most caspases play roles in apoptosis and/or inflammation, caspase-14 plays a main role in epithelial differentiation. In cancers, expression of caspase-14 is frequently altered and is associated with some clinicopathological characteristics, suggesting caspase-14 might contribute to the pathogenesis of cancers. As a potential mechanism of caspase-14 alterations in cancers, we explored the possibility that mutation of caspase-14 gene is a characteristic of human cancers.

METHODS:

We analysed the entire coding region and all splice sites of human caspase-14 gene for the detection of somatic mutations in a series of 345 cancers, including 105 colorectal, 60 gastric, 60 hepatocellular, 60 breast and 60 lung carcinomas, by a single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) assay.

RESULTS:

Overall, we detected two somatic mutations of caspase-14 gene, which consisted of one missense mutation (S32Y) and one silent mutation (T234T). The caspase-14 mutations were detected in two of 105 colorectal carcinomas (1.9%), but not in other carcinomas.

CONCLUSION:

These data indicate that caspase-14 gene is rarely mutated in colorectal carcinomas, but not mutated in gastric, lung, breast and hepatocellular carcinomas. The data also suggest that the caspase-14 mutation may not be a direct target of inactivation in tumorigenesis of common carcinomas.

• Authors: Nam Jin Yoo, Young Hwa Soung, Sung Hak Lee, Eun Goo Jeong, Sug Hyung Lee
• Journal: Pathology (Pathology) Vol. 39 Issue 3 Pg. 330-3 (Jun 2007) ISSN: 0031-3025 [Print] England
• PMID: 17558860 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Caspase 14

Topics

• Breast Neoplasms (genetics)
• Carcinoma (genetics)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (genetics)
• Caspase 14 (genetics)
• Colorectal Neoplasms (genetics)
• DNA Mutational Analysis
• Female
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (genetics)
• Lung Neoplasms (genetics)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational
• Stomach Neoplasms (genetics)