DETECTION OF POINT MUTATIONS IN N-RAS AND K-RAS GENES OF HUMAN EMBRYONAL RHABDOMYOSARCOMAS USING OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES AND THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that genes of the ras family (H, K, and N) can be activated by point mutations at codons 12, 13, and 61. In the present study we have used oligonucleotide probes corresponding to the these regions to assess the role of ras gene mutations in the genesis of human rhabdomyosarcoma. To increase the sensitivity of this method the appropriate regions of the three ras genes were first amplified using the polymerase chain reaction. The results show that 35% (5/14) embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas investigated contain mutations in the N-ras- or K-ras genes. Thus ras mutation is implicated in the development of mesenchymal and embryonal tumors in addition to its previously documented role in epithelial and hematological neoplasia.