Expression of the Microtubule-Associated Protein MAP9/ASAP and Its Partners AURKA and PLK1 in Colorectal and Breast Cancers

Figure 2

MAP9, AURKA, and PLK1 mRNA levels in ductal breast cancer. The mRNA levels were measured by real-time PCR from RT-PCR reactions of 77 ductal breast tumors. Individual values were normalized to two control genes. Gene expression of MAP9, AURKA, and PLK1 was evaluated by comparing the arithmetic means of the samples belonging to each of the 3 tumor grades SBRI (𝑛=5), SBRII (𝑛=28), and SBRIII (𝑛=44). For MAP9 and PLK1, the differences between the 3 tumor stages were not statistically significant (n.s.), whereas for AURKA there is an increase of gene expression from stage I to III (*𝑃<0.005, **𝑃<0.0001). The ratio of gene expression between the 3 tumors stages is indicated in the inset.