EXPRESSION OF THE TUMOR OVER-EXPRESSED CH-TOG GENE IN HUMAN AND BABOON BRAIN

We recently reported on the over-expression of a new gene, colonic and hepatic tumor over-expressed gene (ch-TOG) in human hepatomas and col onic tumors. Although ubiquitous in healthy tissues, its expression wa s found to be particularly elevated in the brain. In the present study , we demonstrate the expression of ch-TOG mRNA in human brain tumors a s well as in numerous areas of healthy human and baboon brain, This ex pression was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reacti on (RT-PCR), Northern blotting, RNAse protection assays and in situ hy bridization. An interesting feature is the demonstration that, althoug h ubiquitous in the brain, the ch-TOG gene is highly expressed in the Purkinje cell bodies of the human cerebellum.