The novel ependymin related gene UCC1 is highly expressed in colorectal tumor cells

Normal cells differ from malignant tumor cells in the transcription levels of many different genes. Two colorectal tumor cell lines were compared with a normal colorectal cell line by differential display reverse transcriptio n PCR to screen for tumor cell specific differentially transcribed genes. B y this strategy the upregulation of a novel gene was detected designated as 'upregulated in colorectal cancer gene-1' (UCC1). The UCC1 gene transcript level is increased in cultured tumor cells and in two out of three analyze d colorectal tumor tissue specimens compared to normal cultured cells and t o corresponding normal tissue samples. Remarkably, the UCC1 protein shows s ignificant sequence similarity to the highly divergent piscine glycoprotein s termed ependymins which are synthesized by leptomeningeal fibroblasts and secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland L td. All rights reserved.