Jhm. Tong et al., Somatic beta-catenin mutation in gastric carcinoma - an infrequent event that is not specific for microsatellite instability, CANCER LETT, 163(1), 2001, pp. 125-130
We screened 90 cases of gastric carcinoma (GCA) samples for beta -catenin e
xon 3 mutation and assessed its possible relationship with microsatellite i
nstability (MSI). Three mutations were detected in two samples, including a
single mutation in an intestinal type and double mutations in a diffuse ty
pe GCA. One of the mutations found in the diffuse type GCA sample was a non
-sense mutation at codon 68 (CAG --> TAG). This novel mutation was predicte
d to disrupt the binding of beta -catenin to alpha -catenin and may be rela
ted to the diffuse type morphology. The other two mutations were missense m
utations involved or related to the GSK-3 beta phosphorylation site, which
have been reported previously. No MSI can be demonstrated in the two cases
with beta -catenin mutation. Our results suggested that beta -catenin mutat
ion was infrequent in GCA and appeared not specific for MSI. (C) 2001 Elsev
ier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.