Two novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the Caspase-9 (CASP9) gene in the Japanese population

We identified two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human Caspase-9 (CASP9) gene (1p36.3), which encodes an apoptosis-related cysteine protease, by screening all exons and exon-intron boundaries. These SNPs were present in coding regions. One of coding SNPs reflected an amino-acid substitution; an A to G transition at codon 221 in exon 5 would encode arginine instead of glutamine. As the gene is implicated in apoptotic cascade, the polymorphic sites will serve as useful markers for genetic studying of disorders affecting immune response and cancer susceptibility in humans.