Anti-Human CASP6 (Phospho-Ser257) polyclonal antibody

Purpose This study analyzed potentially functional polymorphisms in CASPASE (CASP) genes and their impact on the prognosis for Korean colorectal cancer patients. Materials and Methods A total of 397 consecutive patients with curatively resected colorectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled in this study. Genomic DNA from these patients was extracted from fresh colorectal tissue, and the 10 polymorphisms in the CASP3, CASP6, CASP7, CASP8, CASP9, and CASP10 genes were determined using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction genotyping assay. Results The median patient age was 63 years, and 218 (54.9%) patients had colon cancer, while 179 (45.1%) patients had rectal cancer. Univariate and multivariate survival analysis including pathologic stage, patient age, differentiation, and carcinoembryonic antigen level demonstrated that these polymorphisms were not associated with either disease-free or overall survival. Conclusion None of the 10 polymorphisms in the CASP genes investigated in this study was found to be an independent prognostic marker for Korean patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer.

A protein chain can correspond to a monomeric protein or it can form, together with other chains, oligomeric assemblies, which can be either homo-oligomers or hetero-oligomers. In the latter case, the three-dimensional structure of the single protein chain is unlikely to be determined, since it will probably be difficult to express and crystallize. A computational method is presented here that allows one to predict if a chain participates in hetero-oligomeric assemblies, on the basis of its amino acid composition, with accuracy close to 80%. Such a technique should improve the success rate of structural biology projects.