title: The XAGE family of cancer/testis-associated genes: alignment and expression profile in normal tissues, melanoma lesions and Ewing's sarcoma.
abstract: The existence of XAGE genes was first reported after database homology searches for PAGE-like sequences identified 3 XAGE EST clusters. One of these clusters, XAGE-1, has in later studies been identified as a cancer/testis-associated gene. Here, we report the expression profiles of all 3 reported XAGE genes, as well as several splice variants of XAGE-1, in normal human tissues, Ewing's sarcoma and melanocytic tumors. We also provide the genetic structure of the corresponding genes. Moreover, by searching the databases for XAGE homologues, we identified 3 additional GAGE-like genes. RT-PCR studies showed frequent expression in melanoma metastases and Ewing's sarcoma for 2 XAGE-1-derived transcripts. XAGE-2 was expressed at lower frequency in these tissues, while XAGE-3 was seen only in normal placenta. Due to a frameshift, the largest XAGE-1 putative protein is far less homologous to GAGE-like proteins than the other XAGEs. Interestingly, all GAGE-like genes contain a large secondary open reading frame, coding for putative proteins homologues to the XAGE-1 primary protein. The XAGE family of cancer/testis-associated genes is located on chromosome Xp11.21-Xp11.22. The data outline a superfamily of GAGE-like cancer/testis antigens, consisting of at least 19 genes.
authors: Department of Pathology, University Medical Center St. Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. H.Zendeman@pathol.azn.nl
authors: Albert J W
authors: AJ
authors: Zendman
authors: Annemieke A
authors: AA
authors: Van Kraats
authors: Ulrich H
authors: UH
authors: Weidle
authors: Dirk J
authors: DJ
authors: Ruiter
authors: Goos N P
authors: GN
authors: Van Muijen
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D019992:Databases as Topic; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014960:X Chromosome
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C413656:XAGE1A protein, human