RADIOLABELED POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION ASSAY FOR DETECTION OF RAS ONCOGENE POINT MUTATIONS IN TUMORS

The human ras gene plays a fundamental role in the transduction of ext racellular signals to the nucleus, thereby regulating cell growth and differentiation. Point mutations in the ras gene convert it into a tra nsforming oncogene that has been found in many solid and hematologic m alignancies. We describe a rapid and sensitive assay based on a radiol abeled polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction enzyme digest ion that we have adapted for differentiating between the wild-type and mutant ras genes. This assay should prove useful in the analysis of r as gene point mutations in clinical tumor specimens in which ras oncog ene activation is an early event in carcinogenesis.