Evidence of Genetic Instability in Tumors and Normal Nearby Tissues

We have analyzed the sequence heterogeneity of the transcripts of the human HPRT and G6PD single copy genes that are not considered tumor markers. Analyses have been performed on different colon cancers and on the nearby histologically normal tissues of two male patients. Several copies of each cDNA, which were produced by cloning the RT-PCR-amplified fragments of the specific mRNA, have been sequenced. Similar analyses have been performed on blood samples of two ostensibly healthy males as reference controls. The sequence heterogeneity of the HPRT and G6PD genes was also determined on DNA from tumor tissues. The employed analytical approach revealed the presence of low-frequency mutations not detectable by other procedures. The results show that genetic heterogeneity is detectable in HPRT and G6PD transcripts in both tumors and nearby healthy tissues of the two studied colon tumors. Similar frequencies of mutations are observed in patient genomic DNA, indicating that mutations have a somatic origin. HPRT transcripts show genetic heterogeneity also in healthy individuals, in agreement with previous results on human T-cells, while G6PD transcript heterogeneity is a characteristic of the patient tissues. Interestingly, data on TP53 show little, if any, heterogeneity in the same tissues. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that genetic heterogeneity is a peculiarity not only of cancer cells but also of the normal tissue where a tumor arises

Jochen Gerz // Jean Louis Garnell

Albertini's brief descriptions of Garnell's and Gerz's photo and text based works focus on the temporal and spatial limitations of language and image. Includes short texts by both artists

Jochen Gerz : Res Publica : The Public Works 1968-1999

Represented by images and brief texts, the items in the first exhibition devoted to Gerz’s work for public spaces, from the 1980s and 1990s, are supplemented by documentation of works from 1968 to 1999, providing a comprehensive survey. The essayists view Gerz’s work variously as an extension of writing and performance in a non-authoritarian language, as a continuation of the spirit of 1968, and as a dialogic means of expressing marginalized voices. All note that Gerz creates public spaces that are truly civic and alive through dynamic, immaterial processes. Biographical notes. Bibl. 8 p