An autosome-wide scan for linkage disequilibrium-based association in sporadic breast cancer cases in eastern Finland: three candidate regions found.

Breast cancer is the most common of cancers among women in industrialized countries. Many of breast cancer risk factors are known, but the majority of the genetic background is still unknown. Linkage disequilibrium-based association is a powerful tool for mapping disease genes and is suitable for mapping complex traits in founder populations.

A Rab8-specific GDP/GTP exchange factor is involved in actin remodeling and polarized membrane transport.

The mechanisms mediating polarized delivery of vesicles to cell surface domains are poorly understood in animal cells. We have previously shown that expression of Rab8 promotes the formation of new cell surface domains through reorganization of actin and microtubules. To unravel the function of Rab8, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to search for potential Rab8-specific activators.