Equivalent expression of paternally and maternally inherited WT1 alleles in normal fetal tissue and Wilms' tumours

Abstract

Observations of non-random maternal lip allele loss in Wilms' tumour (WT) have implied the possible involvement of an imprinted lip locus in WT aetiology. A proposed 11p13 Wilms' tumour gene, WT1, has recently been isolated and encodes a zinc finger DNA-binding protein, the 3′ untranslated region of which contains a polymorphic dinucleotide repeat (CA repeat) motif. We have exploited this transcribed CA repeat to examine the allelic expression pattern of WT1 and thereby determine whether transcriptional imprinting of this gene occurs. DNA and reverse-transcribed RNA from tumours and normal tissue were subjected to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using radiolabelled primers flanking the C..