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Query: UMLS:C0012872 (DNA marker)
 929 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Molecular genetic studies of tumor-specific allele loss, originally associated primarily with research regarding childhood hereditary cancers such as retinoblastoma and Wilms' tumors, only lately have been recognized as a relatively fast and fruitful way of locating cancer genes on human chromosomes. To date, over 25 different cancers have been tied to a gene (or genes) on a specific chromosome when this method has been used. During the past year alone, this approach has permitted detection of three genes involved in either hereditary or sporadic colorectal cancers. These three genes, located on chromosomes 5q, 17p, and 18q, are believed to belong to the newly described tumor suppressor (or growth suppressor) gene class, whose effects are opposite those of activated cellular oncogenes, which promote uncontrolled cell growth. Present studies, however, have not shown losses of any of these tumor suppressor genes to be correlated with the presence of activated ras genes in colorectal adenomas or carcinomas. During progression from adenoma to carcinoma, ras gene mutations and 5q allelic deletions are likely to be earlier events, whereas allelic losses from chromosomes 18q and 17p seem to occur more often in advanced tumors. Involvement of the genes on 5q (FAP) and 18q (Lynch syndrome II) in hereditary colon cancer syndromes is supported by linkage studies, but their respective roles (as well as that of the gene on 17p) in familial and sporadic colorectal cancer remain to be precisely defined. Probable isolation of these three genes by molecular cloning within the next few years will help elucidate their specific biologic functions. It will also permit early detection, and thus prevention, of some familial colon cancers (such as FAP), and possibly allow DNA marker-based separation of different colon cancer subtypes of similar histologic appearance.
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PMID:Molecular genetic studies of colon cancer. 264 66

High resolution prometaphase chromosome banding has allowed the detection of discrete chromosome aberrations which escaped earlier metaphase examinations. Consistent tiny deletions have been detected in some well established malformation syndromes: an interstitial deletion in 15q11/12 in the majority of patients with the Prader-Willi syndrome and in a minority of patients with the Angelman (happy puppet) syndrome; a terminal deletion of 17p13.3 in most patients examined with the Miller-Dieker syndrome; an interstitial deletion of 8q23.3/24.1 in a large majority of patients with the Giedion-Langer syndrome; an interstitial deletion of 11p13 in virtually all patients with the WAGR (Wilms' tumour-aniridia-gonadoblastoma-retardation) syndrome; and an interstitial deletion in 22q11 in about one third of patients with the DiGeorge sequence. In addition, a combination of chromosome prometaphase banding and DNA marker studies has allowed the localisation of the genes for retinoblastoma and for Wilms' tumour and the clarification of both the autosomal recessive nature of the mutation and the possible somatic mutations by which the normal allele can be lost in retina and kidney cells. After a number of X linked genes had been mapped, discrete deletions in the X chromosome were detected by prometaphase banding with specific attention paid to the sites of the gene(s) in males who had from one to up to four different X linked disorders plus mental retardation. Furthermore, the detection of balanced translocations in probands with disorders caused by autosomal dominant or X linked genes has allowed a better insight into the localisation of these genes. In some females with X linked disorders, balanced X; autosomal translocations have allowed the localisation of X linked genes at the breakpoint on the X chromosome. Balanced autosome; autosome translocations segregating with autosomal dominant conditions have provided some clues to the gene location of these conditions. In two conditions, Greig cephalopolysyndactyly and dominant aniridia, two translocation families with one common breakpoint have allowed quite a confident location of the genes at the common breakpoint at 7p13 and 11p13, respectively.
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PMID:Microdeletion syndromes, balanced translocations, and gene mapping. 305 93