Identification of novel mRNA transcripts of the mn23-M1 gene that are modulated during mouse embryo development and are differently expressed in adult murine tissues

The nm23-M1, a putative metastasis-suppressor gene, and its homologs are in volved in development and differentiation. We have shown previously that in vitro neuronal cell proliferation and differentiation can be modulated by nm23-M1 expression levels. In the present study, by the yeast two-hybrid sy stem, we have shown that, at the onset of mouse tissue differentiation, the Nm23-M1 protein forms either homodimers, or heterodimers with Nm23-M2. Fur thermore, we have isolated two cDNA variants of the nm23-M1 gene in the 3'- untranslated region (UTR). The two variants related to novel mRNA transcrip ts that are modulated in mouse embryo and are differently expressed in adul t murine tissues.