SAGE analysis of neuroblastoma reveals a high expression of the human homologue of the Drosophila Delta gene

Background. Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) is an efficient metho d to establish a complete mRNA expression profile of a tissue. Procedure. W e applied SAGE to identify expression of developmental control genes in neu roblastoma. Results. The human homologue of the Drosophila Delta gene Delta like-1 (DLK1) was shown to have an unusually high expression in a SAGE lib rary of the SK-N-Fl neuroblastoma cell line. Northern blot analysis confirm ed high DLK1 expression in SK-N-Fl and several other neuroblastoma cell lin es. Signalling between Delta and its receptor Notch controls many different iation steps in Drosophila and man, including neural crest cell fate decisi on. Conclusions. Our data therefore suggest a role for the Delta-Notch path way in neuroblast differentiation. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.