TY - JOUR
T1 - Use of a yeast assay to detect functional alterations in p53 in prostate cancer
T2 - Review and future directions
AU - deVere White, Ralph W
AU - Deitch, Arline D.
AU - Gumerlock, Paul H.
AU - Shi, Xu Bao
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - BACKGROUND. While many studies have suggested that p53 mutations are common in human cancers, the functional activity of these mutant alleles has not yet been fully addressed. We believe that information about the functional status of individual p53 mutants will prove to be important for a better understanding of the role of p53 in tumor development and progression. Ultimately, this information could also influence treatment decisions for individual cancer patients. METHODS. A recently developed yeast functional assay can be used to assess the transactivational activity of p53 mutants. Furthermore, this assay is more sensitive than single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) for detection of p53 mutations. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of this new technique and describe its applications in cancer research, with an emphasis on prostate cancer. RESULTS. The use of the yeast functional assay provides a simple, sensitive, and reproducible method for detecting p53 mutations and for determining the transactivational activity and dominant-negative role of individual p53 mutants. CONCLUSIONS. This method may be adapted to analyze other transcriptional factors, including the human androgen receptor.
AB - BACKGROUND. While many studies have suggested that p53 mutations are common in human cancers, the functional activity of these mutant alleles has not yet been fully addressed. We believe that information about the functional status of individual p53 mutants will prove to be important for a better understanding of the role of p53 in tumor development and progression. Ultimately, this information could also influence treatment decisions for individual cancer patients. METHODS. A recently developed yeast functional assay can be used to assess the transactivational activity of p53 mutants. Furthermore, this assay is more sensitive than single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) for detection of p53 mutations. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of this new technique and describe its applications in cancer research, with an emphasis on prostate cancer. RESULTS. The use of the yeast functional assay provides a simple, sensitive, and reproducible method for detecting p53 mutations and for determining the transactivational activity and dominant-negative role of individual p53 mutants. CONCLUSIONS. This method may be adapted to analyze other transcriptional factors, including the human androgen receptor.
KW - p53
KW - Prostate cancer
KW - Yeast functional assays
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U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0045(19991001)41:2<134::AID-PROS8>3.0.CO;2-E
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0045(19991001)41:2<134::AID-PROS8>3.0.CO;2-E
M3 - Article
C2 - 10477910
AN - SCOPUS:0032880528
VL - 41
SP - 134
EP - 142
JO - Prostate
JF - Prostate
SN - 0270-4137
IS - 2
ER -