2 DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED GENES IN NORMAL HUMAN PROSTATE TISSUE AND IN CARCINOMA

Alterations in transcriptional control may contribute directly to carc inogenesis. king the differential display technique in prostate cancer cells compared to normal prostate epithelial cells, se identified a d own-regulated gene and an up-regulated gene in canter cells. The down- regulated gene encodes human epithelial tropomyosin (TMe1), a member o f the family of actin filament-binding proteins, The up-regulated gene encodes cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIc (CCOSVIc), a protein of the respiration chain in the mitochondrial inner membrane, The differentia l display pattern was confirmed by Northern hybridization in both pros tate tissue and cell lines, In situ hybridization of malignant prostat e epithelial tissue using a digoxigenin-labeled antisense riboprobe de tected strong staining for mRNA of COSVIc, as opposed to very weak sta ining in normal prostate epithelium. The expression pattern of COSVIc may be a useful marker for studying the alteration of energy metabolis m in cancer tells and for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.