A gene near the D3F15S2 site on 3p is expressed in normal human kidney but not or only at a severely reduced level in 11 of 15 primary renal cell carcinomas (RCC).
The constitutional heterozygosity for the DNF15S2 locus and for one allele of the c-erbA beta and the c-raf-1 proto-oncogenes was lost in nonpapillary RCCs, whereas both alleles were retained in each papillary RCC analyzed.
The results support the thesis that a tumor suppressor gene involved in the oncogenesis of RCC may be located distal to the DNF15S2 locus on chromosome 3p.
The second common region of deletion at chromosome 3p21.3 encompasses D3F15S2, at which a high incidence of loss of heterzygosity in renal cell carcinoma has been reported.