MUTATIONS IN THE ARGININE-RICH PROTEIN GENE, IN LUNG, BREAST, AND PROSTATE CANCERS, AND IN SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Ariginine-rich protein (ARP) is a highly conserved gene that maps to h uman chromosomal band 3p21.1. This gene contains an imperfect trinucle otide repeat which encodes a string of arginines, We previously detect ed a specific mutation (ATG(50)-->AGG) within this region of the gene in 10 of 21 sporadic renal cell carcinomas. Here, we report the detect ion of the same mutation in 5 of 21 squamous cell carcinomas of the he ad and neck, 1 of 2 small cell lung cancer cell lines, 6 of 18 nan-sma ll cell lung carcinomas, 9 of 22 breast tumors, and 5 of 13 prostate t umors. This mutation nas seen in several early stage tumors and may th us be an early event in tumorigenesis. Ne also detected a mutation at codon 53 of this gene in both primary and metastatic tumors from one p atient. Other nucleotide changes were observed in a few PCR subclones, but their frequency was the same in both tumor and control samples, s uggesting that many of these changes were PCR or subcloning artifacts rather than mutations in the tumor cells themselves.