UNIVERSITY SEMINAR ASSOCIATES

Genes that fuse to cause cancer have been studied to determine molecular bases for proliferation, to develop diagnostic tools, and as targets for drugs. To facilitate identification of additional, cancer fusion genes, following observation of a chromosomal translocation, we have characterized the genomic features of the fusion gene partners. Previous work indicated that cancer fusion gene partners, are either large or evolutionarily conserved in comparison to the neighboring genes in the region of a chromosomal translocation. These results raised the question of whether large cancer fusion gene partners were also evolutionarily conserved... We developed two methods for quantifying evolutionary conservation values, allowing the conclusion that both large and small cancer fusion gene partners are more evolutionarily conserved than their neighbors. Additionally, we determined that cancer fusion gene partners have more 3' untranslated region secondary structures than do their neighbors.

Also known as: cancer fusion genes, University Seminar Associates, Inc.