title: Isolation of development and differentiation enhancing factor-like 1 (DDEFL1) as a drug target for hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: To disclose mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinogenesis and to identify novel diagnostic markers and/or drug targets for treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), we analyzed expression profiles of clinical HCCs using a genome-wide cDNA microarray. From among the transcripts that were commonly up-regulated in these tumors we identified a novel human gene at chromosomal band 1p36.13, termed DDEFL1 (development and differentiation enhancing factor-like 1), encoding a product that shared structural features with centaurin-family proteins. The deduced 903-amino acid sequence showed 46% homology to DDEF/ASAP1 (development and differentiation enhancing factor), and contained an Arf GTPase-activating protein (ArfGAP) domain and two ankyrin repeats. Gene transfer of DDEFL1 promoted proliferation of cells that lacked endogenous expression of this gene. Furthermore, reduction of DDEFL1 expression by transfection of anti-sense S-oligonucleotides inhibited the growth of SNU475 cancer cells, in which DDEFL1 expression was highly up-regulated. Our results provide novel insight into hepatocarcinogenesis and may contribute to development of new strategies for diagnosis and treatment of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Tatsushi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaoka
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D019556:COS Cells; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; C488555:ASAP3 protein, human