MYCN is the only highly expressed gene from the core amplified domain in human neuroblastomas.
MYCN amplification in neuroblastomas is strongly associated with advanced stages of disease and a poor prognosis. We have recently defined a 130 kb core region of the MYCN amplicon that is consistently amplified in neuroblastomas. However, it has been argued that other expressed sequences were coamplified with MYCN and, as a result, might contribute to the aggressive phenotype of MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas. Therefore, we have screened cosmids representing the core MYCN-amplified domain and surrounding DNA by using a differential hybridization approach to detect other amplified, highly expressed genes from this region. Our results suggest that MYCN is the only highly expressed gene consistently amplified in human neuroblastomas, and that the MYCN gene is likely to be the only selective marker for genomic amplification in these tumors.
Reiter
J L
JL
Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania 19104-4318, USA.
Brodeur
G M
GM
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics*; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C114475:NAS2 protein, S cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins