PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A CDNA FOR HUMAN STEAROYL-COA DESATURASE AND CHANGES IN ITS MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION IN SOME NORMAL AND MALIGNANT-TISSUES

A segment of 712 bases coding for part of the human stearoyl-CoA desat urase gene was made by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers b ased on published rat cDNA sequences. The human PCR product was confir med by DNA sequencing. It was next cloned into a vector from which ant i-sense, highly radioactive RNA transcripts were made in vitro using T -7 polymerase. The transcripts were used to probe desaturase mRNA in a number of human tumour and control tissues, using a very sensitive so lution hybridization/RNase protection assay. Increased desaturase mRNA levels were found in colonic and oesophageal carcinomas and in hepato cellular adenoma; however, no consistent trend was seen in hepatocellu lar carcinoma. It is suggested that certain classes of tumour may exhi bit increased levels of desaturase mRNA. (C) 1991 Wiley-Liss, Inc.