title: Mutations in exon 3 of the beta-catenin gene are rare in melanoma cell lines.
abstract: Mutations in exon 3 of the CTNNB1 gene encoding beta-catenin have been reported in colorectal cancer cell lines and tumours. Although one study reported mutations or deletions affecting beta-catenin in 20% of melanoma cell lines, subsequent reports detected a much lower frequency of aberrations in uncultured melanomas. To determine whether this difference in mutation frequency reflected an in vitro culturing artefact, exon 3 of CTNNB1 was screened in a panel of 62 melanoma cell lines. In addition, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect intragenic deletions affecting exon 3. One out of 62 (1.6%) cell lines was found to carry a mutation, indicating that aberration of the Wnt-1/wingless pathway through activation of beta-catenin is a rare event, even in melanoma cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Joint Experimental Oncology Program of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, The University of Queensland, and the Queensland Cancer Fund, P.O. Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayward
mesh_terms: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin