Alternative splicing of fibronectin transcripts in osteochondrogenic tumors.
BACKGROUND
Fibronectin (FN) acts in many fundamental biological processes including cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and apoptosis. Although FN shows an ubiquitous expression pattern, alternative mRNA splicing modulates tissue-specific molecular heterogeneity at three regions: extra domain-B, extra domain-A and variable region.


METHODS
In the present study, we analyzed the FN mRNA splicing in osteochondrogenic tumors as well as in various normal tissues using the RT-PCR method.


RESULTS
Normal cartilage almost exclusively contained short mRNA lacking alternative exons in all regions. However, 14 osteochondrogenic tumors including osteochondroma, enchondroma, chondroblastoma, chondrosarcoma and osteosarcoma uniformly contained long mRNA with various patterns of alternative exons in the three regions.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicated that the lack of regulation excluding the alternative exons may be associated with tumorigenesis in chondrocytes.
Matsui
Y
Y
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, 840 Murodocho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1101, Japan. ymatsui@sam.hi-ho.ne.jp
Nakata
K
K
Araki
N
N
Ozono
K
K
Fujita
Y
Y
Tsumaki
N
N
Kawabata
H
H
Yasui
N
N
Sekiguchi
K
K
Yoshikawa
H
H
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002804:Chondroblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002812:Chondroma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009372:Neoplasms, Connective Tissue / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015831:Osteochondroma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger
D005353:Fibronectins; D012333:RNA, Messenger