title: Identification of DLK1 variants in pituitary- and neuroendocrine tumors.
abstract: In a gene chip analysis of common pituitary tumor types, one of the genes with the most impressive tissue-specific expression regulation was delta-like 1 (DLK1), which was strongly expressed in GH-secreting (GH-S) pituitary tumors. In addition to pituitary adenomas, various endocrine tumors were subjected to real-time-quantitative PCR revealing high expression of DLK1 in normal pituitary tissue, in GH-S-, in one prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma and in pheochromocytomas. Additionally, three DLK1 gene-derived subvariants were identified. The first, lacking 204 bp--coding for epidermal growth factor-like domain 6 and parts of the juxtamembrane region--was named Secredeltin. In the other two splice variants (named Brevideltin and Brevideltinin), a stop codon is introduced due to a frame-shift, leading to truncated proteins of 204 and 213 aas, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Vienna Medical University, Department of Internal Medicine III, Vienna, Austria. altenberger.tibor@univie.ac.at
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Altenberger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilban
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Auer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Knosp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolfsberger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gartner
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mineva
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luger
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018388:Codon, Terminator; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D018388:Codon, Terminator; C512941:DLK1 protein, human; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D004247:DNA