Methods for evaluating colon tissue for expression of the DRA (down regulated in adenoma) gene

摘要

A new down-regulated gene called DRA, for down regulated in adenoma, maps to chromosome 7 and is believed to encode a tumor suppressor. The DRA gene encodes a highly hydrophobic protein with charged clusters located primarily in the carboxyl terminus. Additionally, the expression of the mRNA product appears to be strictly limited to the mucosa of normal colon and it is down-regulated early in colon tumorigenesis. Absence of the DRA polypeptide in tissue that usually expresses it can be used as an indicator of tissue abnormality. The DRA gene and cDNA may also have therapeutic capabilities as well.