Association between favorable neuroblastoma and high expression of the novel metalloproteinase gene, nbla3145/XCE, cloned by differential screening of the full-length-enriched oligo-capping neuroblastoma cDNA libraries.
BACKGROUND
The biology of neuroblastoma (NBL) is at least partly regulated by neurotrophic factors and their receptors.


METHODS
To identify novel NBL-related genes that affect growth, differentiation, and programmed cell death of the tumor, we constructed full-length-enriched cDNA libraries by oligo-capping method.


RESULTS
Semi-quantitative and quantitative real-time RT-PCR showed that the nbla3145 gene was significantly highly expressed in favorable subset of NBL. The nucleo-tide sequence of nbla3145 revealed that it was a novel member of metalloproteinase, endothelin-converting enzyme, and was the same gene recently reported as XCE. We also cloned nbla3145beta which was a novel truncated form of nbla3145 (or nbla3145alpha).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggested that nbla3145/XCE plays an important role in regulating growth and differentiation of NBL.
Kawamoto
T
T
Division of Biochemistry, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, Chiba, Japan.
Shishikura
T
T
Ohira
M
M
Takayasu
H
H
Morohashi
A
A
Takada
N
N
Takahashi
M
M
Suzuki
Y
Y
Sugano
S
S
Hori
T
T
Nakagawara
A
A
D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*
C492359:ECEL1 protein, human; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases