G. Baldassarre et al., A truncated form of teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor-1 (cripto-1) mRNA expressed in human colon carcinoma cell lines and tumors, TUMOR BIOL, 22(5), 2001, pp. 286-293
The human teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor (TDGF)-1 gene encodes a 188
-amino acid protein, cripto-1. The TDGF-1 gene is overexpressed in the majo
rity of human primary colorectal carcinomas and hepatic metastases, in brea
st carcinomas and in testicular nonseminoma germ cell embryonal carcinomas.
In the human embryonal carcinoma cell line NTERA-2 clone D1, a 2-kb TDGF-1
mRNA transcript is expressed. The present study shows that a 1.7-kb mRNA t
ranscript lacking the first two exons of the TDGF-1 gene is expressed in th
e human colon carcinoma cell line GEO. This shorter mRNA is the only TDGF-1
transcript that is present in the majority of primary human colorectal car
cinomas and hepatic metastases and in adult human tissues such as the pancr
eas, heart, stomach, mammary gland, skeletal muscle, liver and placenta. In
contrast, in the kidney, brain, testis, ovary and spleen, the longer 2-kb
TDGF-1 mRNA transcript is expressed. The putative shorter protein starts at
a CUG codon 129 nucleotides downstream of the starting AUG codon of the lo
nger protein. These data indicate the potential for differential transcript
ional regulation of the TDGF-1 gene in different normal and tumor tissues.
Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.