Processes of island colonisation have long been interest to biologists. Colonisation events themselves are rarely observed, but the processes involved may be inferred using genetic approaches. We investigated possible means by common toads (Bufo bufo) in western Scotland (the Isle Skye and five neighbouring small islands), evidence derived from nuclear microsatellites mitochondrial (mt) DNA. Le...

Multiple DNA microsatellites with frequent loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in melanomas have been demonstrated. The finding that free DNA is enriched in blood of melanoma patients prompted studies to determine whether tumor-specific DNA, such as DNA microsatellites exhibiting LOH, can be detected in blood and have clinical use. In this study, 57 advanced and 19 early clinically staged melanoma pat...

Numerous molecular abnormalities contribute to the genetic derangements involved in tumorigenesis. Chromosomal translocations are a frequent source of these derangements, producing unique fusion proteins with novel oncogenic properties. EWS/ETS fusions in Ewing sarcoma are a prime example of this, resulting in potent chimeric oncoproteins with novel biological properties and a unique transcript...

It is generally accepted that longer microsatellites mutate more frequently in defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR) than shorter microsatellites. Indeed, we have previously observed that the A10 microsatellite of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor (TGFBR2) frameshifts -1 bp at a faster rate than the A8 microsatellite of activin type II receptor (ACVR2), although both genes become f...

Analysis of microsatellite instability (MI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is recommended for screening patients with sporadic and hereditary malignancies. This study shows an application of a fluorescent hexaplex PCR system for microsatellite typing on A.L.F. DNA Sequencer (Pharmacia Biotech). This technique detects changes in microsatellites providing a time-efficient, reliable and accurate...