Alpha class glutathione transferase polymorphisms identified by EST database analysis

Abstract

Polymorphisms in the mu, pi and theta class glutathione transferase (GST) genes have been implicated in susceptibility to a number of diseases. New polymorphisms can be identified by searching the expressed sequence tag (EST) database, as it contains a multitude of sequences collected from many individuals. The EST database was used to search for polymorphisms in the GST alpha class genes. The presence of confirmed polymorphisms in three different ethnic groups has been examined, and the recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli for further study.