IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED MESSENGER-RNAS IN NORMAL AND NEOPLASTIC (ADENOCARCINOMA) HUMAN ENDOMETRIUM

Individual mRNA species from normal and neoplastic endometrium obtaine d from the same patient were comparatively studied by exploiting the ' 'differential display'' methodology, The mRNAs were extracted from tis sues, reverse transcribed, and amplified by PCR using appropriate prim ers, The cDNA electrophoretic bands which were frankly different on th e basis of their quantitative expression were excised from the gels an d reamplified, Each of these sequences was subsequently screened for t he capacity to hybridize to RNA preparations from normal endometrium a nd endometrial adenocarcinoma samples, first from the original patient and then from a group of selected patients, Of many, only two sequenc es, thereafter named N-5.5 and T-16.2, respectively, successfully pass ed the two sieving tests and were chosen for further analysis, It appe ars that N-5.5 recognizes an mRNA which is expressed more abundantly i n normal than in neoplastic (adenocarcinoma) endometrium; in contrast, T-16.2 seems to preferentially recognize an mRNA which is expressed i n tumoral tissues, These two sequences have been cloned and sequenced; they do not show any identity or significant similarity to any other known sequence. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.