RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Mutations of the bak Gene in Human Gastric and Colorectal Cancers JF Cancer Research JO Cancer Res FD American Association for Cancer Research SP 4328 OP 4330 VO 60 IS 16 A1 Kondo, Shinya A1 Shinomura, Yasuhisa A1 Miyazaki, Yoshiji A1 Kiyohara, Tatsuya A1 Tsutsui, Shusaku A1 Kitamura, Shinji A1 Nagasawa, Yutaka A1 Nakahara, Masanori A1 Kanayama, Shuji A1 Matsuzawa, Yuji YR 2000 UL http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/60/16/4328.abstract AB The Bcl-2 homologue Bak is a potent inducer of apoptosis. We performed PCR-based single-strand conformational polymorphism and sequencing analysis of the entire coding region of the bak gene (exons 2–6) in 24 primary gastric cancers (6 early-stage and 18 advanced-stage cancers) and 20 primary colorectal cancers (6 early-stage and 14 advanced-stage cancers). The data herein demonstrate, for the first time, the mutation of the bak gene in gastric and colorectal cancers. Missense bak gene mutations were observed in 3 of 24 (12.5%) gastric cancers and 2 of 20 (10.0%) colorectal cancers. Sequence alterations without amino acid alteration were observed 1 of 24 (4.2%) gastric cancers and 2 of 20 (10.0%) colorectal cancers. Mutations in the bak gene were observed only in advanced-stage gastrointestinal cancers but not in early-stage cancers. Our observations suggest that mutations in this gene predispose bearers to the development of gastrointestinal malignancies in at least a subset of the cases.