Mutant Plk protein and gene encoding the same

Abstract

A mutant Plk protein having a mutation in C-terminal domain thereof specified by amino acid residues of from 439 to 603 of amino acid sequence of wild-type Plk protein wherein said mutation decreases affinity with Hsp90 protein, and a gene encoding said mutant Plk protein are provided. A method for detecting an abnormal cell which comprises the step of detecting the mutant Plk protein or the gene encoding the protein is also provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of cell analysis comprising detecting presence of a mutant Plk protein in a cell, the mutant Plk protein having at least one of S487G, P509S, N496S and R512W mutation in C-terminal domain of wild-type Plk protein, wherein the mutation decreases affinity with Hsp90 protein.  
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the cell is a malignant cell.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the cell is a malignant tumor cell.  
     
     
         4 . A method for diagnosing a malignant tumor which comprises detecting presence of a mutant Plk protein in a tumor sample, the mutant Plk protein having at least one of S487G, P509S, N496S and R512W mutation in C-terminal domain of wild-type Plk protein, wherein the mutation decreases affinity with Hsp90 protein.  
     
     
         5 . A method of detecting presence in a cell of mutant Plk protein which promotes oncogenesis comprising analyzing a biological sample for presence of mutant Plk protein, the mutant Plk protein having at least one of S487G, P509S, N496S and R512W mutation in C-terminal domain of wild-type Plk protein, wherein the mutation decreases affinity with Hsp90 protein.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the cell is a malignant cell.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the cell is a malignant tumor cell.  
     
     
         8 . A method of cell analysis comprising detecting presence of a mutant Plk nucleotide sequence encoding a mutant Plk protein in a cell, the mutant Plk protein having at least one of S487G, P509S, N496S and R512W mutation in C-terminal domain of wild-type Plk protein, wherein the mutation decreases affinity with Hsp90 protein.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8  wherein the cell is a malignant cell.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8  wherein the cell is a malignant tumor cell.  
     
     
         11 . A method for diagnosing a malignant tumor which comprises detecting presence of the mutant Plk nucleotide sequence encoding a mutant Plk protein in a tumor sample, the mutant Plk protein having at least one of S487G, P509S, N496S and R512W mutation in C-terminal domain of wild-type Plk protein, wherein the mutation decreases affinity with Hsp90 protein.  
     
     
         12 . A method of detecting presence in a cell of mutant Plk nucleotide sequence encoding a mutant Plk protein which promotes oncogenesis comprising analyzing a biological sample for presence of the mutant Plk nucleotide sequence, the mutant Plk protein having at least one of S487G, P509S, N496S and R512W mutation in C-terminal domain of wild-type Plk protein, wherein the mutation decreases affinity with Hsp90 protein.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the malignant cell is a malignant cell.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the malignant cell is a malignant tumor cell.