title: Axin, the main component of the Wnt signaling pathway, is not mutated in kidney tumors in children.
abstract: The Wnt signaling pathway is essential for embryonic development and can be involved in tumorigenesis when aberrantly activated. In a subset of Wilms' tumors, beta-catenin mutations have been identified, and this suggested that abnormally activated Wnt signaling may contribute to tumorigenesis of this tumor. Because Axin has been recognized as a main component of Wnt signaling, and its mutations were reported in several types of malignancies, we analyzed Axin gene mutations in 22 pediatric renal tumors. Twenty-four sets of the primers, which cover the whole coding region of the Axin gene, were used for PCR-SSCP analyses. Samples revealing aberrant band patterns were further analyzed for sequencing. We have only identified 4 silent mutations in the coding region and 3 intronic polymorphisms in Axin gene, accordingly no pathogenetic gene mutations were detected. Our results indicated that mutations of Axin gene as a mechanism of tumorigenesis are not associated with pediatric renal tumors including Wilms' tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Jiangyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusafuka
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Udatsu
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D060466:Axin Protein; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: D060466:Axin Protein; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins