No Evidence for Mutations in the α- and β-Catenin Genes in Human Gastric and Breast Carcinomas

摘要: Disturbed function of E-cadherin and/or one its anchoring proteins, the catenins, is thought to destabilize E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion, which may enhance invasiveness epithelial cells and thus favor carcinoma progression. Reduced expression α-catenin, as well mutations in gene, have been found various carcinomas, whereas α- β-catenin genes described only cell lines. Using reverse transcription-PCR, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis single-strand conformational polymorphism, we examined 16 diffuse- 5 intestinal-type gastric 9 lobular 2 ductal breast for cDNA. All investigated tumors were analyzed previously mutations. Comparing tumorous nontumorous samples, detected neither deletions nor aberrant polymorphism patterns. At nucleotide 2220 α-catenin identified frequent polymorphism. Our findings suggest that, contrast E-cadherin, do not contribute pathogenesis or diffuse growth patterns carcinomas.