Signs of positive selection of somatic mutations in human cancers detected by EST sequence analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Carcinogenesis typically involves multiple somatic mutations in caretaker (DNA repair) and gatekeeper (tumor suppressors and oncogenes) genes. Analysis of mutation spectra of the tumor suppressor that is most commonly mutated in human cancers, p53, unexpectedly suggested that somatic evolution of the p53 gene during tumorigenesis is dominated by positive selection for gain of function. This conclusion is supported by accumulating experimental evidence of evolution of new functions of p53 in tumors. These findings prompted a genome-wide analysis of possible positive selection during tumor evolution.

Methods

A comprehensive analysis of probable somatic mutations in the sequences of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) from malignant tumors and normal tissues was performed

SUBMITTER: Babenko VN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1431556 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature