A large noncoding RNA is a marker for murine hepatocellular carcinomas and a spectrum of human carcinomas.
Tumor markers can facilitate understanding molecular cell biology of neoplasia and provide potential targets for the diagnosis and insight for intervention. We here identify a novel murine gene, hepcarcin (hcn), encoding a 7-kb mRNA-like transcript. The gene appears to be the murine ortholog of the human alpha gene, that is, MALAT-1. The gene and homologs lack credible open reading frames, consistent with a highly conserved large noncoding RNA (ncRNA). In all nodules of procarcinogen-induced murine hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and human HCCs, expression was markedly elevated compared to the uninvolved liver. Quantitative analyses indicated a 6-7-fold increased RNA level in HCCs versus uninvolved liver, advancing this as a molecule of interest. This ncRNA was overexpressed in all five non-hepatic human carcinomas analysed, consistent with a potential marker for neoplastic cells and potential participant in the molecular cell biology of neoplasia.
Lin
R
R
Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. ruilin@scripps.edu
Maeda
S
S
Liu
C
C
Karin
M
M
Edgington
T S
TS
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011506:Proteins; D022661:RNA, Untranslated