Current Genomics - Volume 4, Issue 1, 2003

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a membrane-anchored, 170 kDa, protein tyrosine kinase that has been implicated in tumorigenesis. Recent sequence data from the publicly funded Human Genome Project has led to a revision in the structure of the EGFR gene, as well as an improved understanding of its mutations in tumor cells. The exons and introns of the EGFR gene are contained within 168 kilobases of D Read More

The p53 gene is a tumour suppressor gene frequently mutated in human cancers. Its product is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of various genes involved in cell cycle arrest and in apoptosis in response to different cellular stresses. The recent discovery of two p53 gene homologs, p73 and p63, has uncovered a family of transcription factors and widened the scenario of cell cycle control and apoptosis. p7 Read More

The representation of gene regulation on a large-scale needs new tools and models, since interconnected networks of signal transduction rather than linear cascades of events are involved in cellular perception. The Boolean language represents a convenient way to describe such a complexity. It allows a simple representation of experimental data generated through classical genetic approaches as well as microarra Read More

Recent progress in mammalian genomics raises enormous expectations for rapid advances in global understanding of the genetic program. The Human Genome Sequencing Project and parallel sequencing efforts addressing other genomes are in their final stages and will bring to the public domain an influx of tens of thousands of previously unknown genes whose cellular function will remain to be evaluated. Although DNA se Read More

The genomics revolution has provided an overwhelming choice of potential drug targets for cancer therapy. Central to this revolution are approaches that identify target genes by changes in gene expression or through bioinformatic searching of DNA / protein databases for homologous sequences. An alternative to these approaches is functional cloning which selects gene products based on the ability of a gi Read More

Increased longevity has been achieved by genetic and environmental manipulations in model organisms, from nematodes to mammals. Genes that can extend life span when altered are referred to as “gerontogenes.” The last several years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of identified gerontogenes (approximately seventy-four). The vast majority of these genes have been identified in the nematode, Caenorha Read More

Inadequate bone density is the strongest determinant of subsequent osteoporotic fracture. More than 70%of the variability in human bone density has been attributed to genetic factors. Therefore, the identification of genes regulating peak bone density represents a major advance in both the understanding of pathways that regulate bone density and the pathogenesis of diseases such as osteoporosis. Although association studi Read More