Aberrant transcripts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/MMAC1 genes in normal peripheral mononuclear cells

Aberrant transcripts of FHIT and TSG101 using nested RT-PCR were reported i n many human tumours. The role of these aberrant transcripts in tumourigene sis is not clear. We, therefore, analyzed the aberrant transcripts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/MMAC1 in peripheral mononuclear cells of normal individual s using nested RT-PCR to explore the role of these genes in cancer developm ent. The results showed that there are at least five types of aberrant tran scripts: type I is the deletion at junction located in-between normal exon and intron; type II has deletion of some bases and subsequent insertion of several bases in the deletion area; type III accommodates splicing donor or acceptor site-like sequence; type IV has homologous sequences near the del eted junction; and type V comprises the homologous sequences at the deletio n junction. A normal healthy person can have more than one aberrant transcr ipts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/MMAC1 genes. The size and the number of the t ranscripts vary and the diversity is unconstrained. It is not depended on t he time, condition of the reaction, or the isolation method. From these res ults, we suggested that the aberrant transcripts of FHIT, TSG101 and PTEN/M MAC1 genes may be the imperfect products of splicesome which occur one in e very thousands, ten thousands or more. As a result, these data implied no d irect association between the aberrant transcripts and tumourigenesis.