Absence of frameshift mutations in the bax gene in renal cell cancer (RCC) and transitional cell cancer (TCC).

BACKGROUND

Bax protein, a member of the Bcl-2 family, regulates the apoptotic pathway that involves both Bcl-2 and p53. bax mutations are found in hematological malignancies, colon cancer with microsatellite mutator phenotype, and some other cancers. We evaluated the possibility that Bax functions as a TCC or RCC tumor suppressor gene.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using Western blot and polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) we looked for somatic mutations in a tract of eight deoxyguanosines (G)8 within third exon of bax in TCC and RCC cell lines and tumor specimens.

RESULTS

We failed to reveal genetic alterations, at least in this specific region of bax gene in urological cancers.

CONCLUSION

Alterations of bax, at least at investigated specific region, do not play considerable role in RCC or TCC tumorigenesis.