Identification of THW, a putative new tumor suppressor gene

Differential Display between metastasizing and non-metastasizing human mela noma cell lines NMCL-1 and 530 led to the identification of a putative tran smembrane receptor; designated as THW, which is down-regulated in the metas tasizing cell line. THW is composed of 193 aa, exhibits fool putative trans membrane domains and does not reveal any homology to other proteins. Down-r egulation of THW is correlated with metastatic capacity of melanoma cell li nes. THW was down-regulated in mammary carcinoma cell lines compared with c ell lines derived from non-malignant mammary epithelium, in pancreas cell l ines derived fr om metastases compared with a cell line derived fr om a pri mary tumor and in several tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. The f unction of THW as a tumor suppressor is emphasized by the location of the T HW gene on chromosome 6q. LOH for this region has been reported in malignan t melanoma and prostate, pancreas, uterine and mammary carcinomas.