Absence of ras-gene hot-spot mutations in canine fibrosarcomas and melanomas
Murua Escobar, H.; Günther, K.; Richter, A.; Soller, J.T.; Winkler, S.; Nolte, I.; Bullerdiek, Jörn.
Anticancer Research 24(5a): 3027-3028
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0250-7005 PMID: 15517911 Document Number: 576409
Point mutations within ras proto-oncogenes, particulars within the mutational hot-spot codons 12, 13 and 61, are frequently detected in human malignancies and in different types of experimentally-induced tumours in animals. So far little is known about ras mutations in naturally occurring canine fibrosarcomas or K-ras mutations in canine melanomas. To elucidate whether ras mutations exist in these naturally occurring tumours in dogs, in the present study we screened 13 canine fibrosarcomas, 2 feline fibrosarcomas and 11 canine melanomas for point mutations, particularly within the mutational hot-spots, making this the first study to investigate a large number of canine fibrosarcomas. None of the samples showed a K- or N-ras hot spot mutation. Thus, our data strongly suggest that ras mutations at the hot-spot loci are very rare and do not play a major role in the pathogenesis of the spontaneously occurring canine tumours investigated.