Novel association of a diverse range of genes with renal cell carcinoma asidentified by differential display

dWe have used differential-display FCR (DD-PCR) to compare renal-cell carci noma (RCC) and normal kidney gene expression with the aim of identifying ge nes specifically associated with RCC. Using a modified DD-PCR approach, whi ch was non-radioactive, quicker and simpler than the conventional method, 2 4 cDNA samples were clearly up- or downregulated in RCC tissue from 4 patie nts. Fourteen of these showed high similarity to a number of known genes. E ight of these cDNA clones were chosen for further analysis. These were a re gulator of G-protein signalling (RGS-5), Notch-3, Na,K-ATPase a! subunit, H LA class II antigen, ETS-like protein, transforming growth factor P-stimula ted clone (TSC-22), bladder cancer-related protein (BC10) and adipophilin. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR using specific primers to each of these genes conf irmed differential expression in 67% to 83% of a further 12 RCC and normal kidney paired samples from 7 of the 8 cDNA clones. Northern analysis furthe r confirmed the up-regulation in expression of RGS-5 and Notch-3 in RCC. Fu rther characterisation of these differentially expressed genes should lead to a better understanding of the changes that occur at the molecular level during RCC development and progression. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.