IDENTIFICATION OF GENES EXPRESSED DIFFERENTIALLY BY LNCAP OR PC-3 PROSTATE-CANCER CELL-LINES

The transition from androgen-dependent to aggressive androgen-independ ent growth is an important development in prostate cancer, and the ide ntification of genes expressed differentially between these two phenot ypes could provide new therapeutic targets as well as prognostic marke rs. Using a subtractive approach designated linker capture subtraction , we have now isolated several genes expressed differentially between the human prostate carcinoma cell limes LNCaP and PC-3, which are andr ogen-dependent and androgen-independent, respectively. In addition to 10 known genes that may be involved in signal transduction, turner gro wth, tumor invasion, and metastasis, 3 novel genes were isolated. One of these, designated NPG-1, was expressed by the majority of primary t umors examined. Moreover, the degree of NPG-1 expressed correlated wit h an aggressive histopathology.