Full Length Research Paper

p53 oncogene mutations in head and neck cancer based on the weighted Euclidean distance

Kong Juanjuan^1,2 and Zhu Ping^1,2*

¹School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People’s Republic of China.

²Key Laboratory of Advanced Process Control for Light Industry, Jiangnan University, Ministry of Education, Wuxi 214122, China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: zhuping@jiangnan.edu.cn. Tel: 13861449741.

Accepted 13 December, 2011

   Abstract

In order to study the p53 mutations in head and neck cancer, we explored the relationship between the different positions of the bases and the amino acids’ physical and chemical properties. In this paper, the Euclidean distance (d) was defined. Furthermore, by using improved variation coefficient method, the Euclidean named as weighted Euclidean distance (d*) was weighted, and then the p53 oncogene mutations in head and neck cancer was analyzed by using d and d*. The method based on the d* can judge which position of the bases had changed more obviously. When d* was more than 1.5, the second base, as well as the physical and chemical properties of amino acids, changed. In contrast, when d* was less than 1.2, the first or the third base changed, but the physical and chemical properties of amino acids were not changed. The results therefore show that the second base has the greatest influence on amino acids, the first has smaller influence, and the third has less impact on the physical and chemical properties of amino acids.

Key words: Weighted Euclidean distance, head and neck cancer, p53, physical and chemical properties, amino acids.