title: Identification of a novel cell cycle regulated gene, HURP, overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: An analytic strategy was followed to identify putative regulatory genes during the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This strategy employed a bioinformatics analysis that used a database search to identify genes, which are differentially expressed in human HCC and are also under cell cycle regulation. A novel cell cycle regulated gene (HURP) that is overexpressed in HCC was identified. Full-length cDNAs encoding the human and mouse HURP genes were isolated. They share 72 and 61% identity at the nucleotide level and amino-acid level, respectively. Endogenous levels of HURP mRNA were found to be tightly regulated during cell cycle progression as illustrated by its elevated expression in the G(2)/M phase of synchronized HeLa cells and in regenerating mouse liver after partial hepatectomy. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that hepatoma up-regulated protein (HURP) localizes to the spindle poles during mitosis. Overexpression of HURP in 293T cells resulted in an enhanced cell growth at low serum levels and at polyhema-based, anchorage-independent growth assay. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that HURP is a potential novel cell cycle regulator that may play a role in the carcinogenesis of human cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ann-Ping
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Tsou
authors.forename: Chu-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chi-Ying F
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ricky Chang-Tze
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yuan-Chii G
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cha-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Bo-Rue
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Ming-Ji
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fann
authors.forename: Chin-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Jen-Hwey
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Chen-Kung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008938:Mitosis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C465041:DLGAP5 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins