title: Diversity of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion transcripts in the human prostate.
abstract: TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusions have recently been reported to be present in a high proportion of human prostate cancers. In the current study, we show that great diversity exists in the precise structure of TMPRSS2-ERG hybrid transcripts found in human prostates. Fourteen distinct hybrid transcripts are characterized, each containing different combinations of sequences from the TMPRSS2 and ERG genes. The transcripts include two that are predicted to encode a normal full-length ERG protein, six that encode N-terminal truncated ERG proteins and one that encodes a TMPRSS2-ERG fusion protein. Interestingly, distinct patterns of hybrid transcripts were found in samples taken from separate regions of individual cancer-containing prostates, suggesting that TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusions may be arising independently in different regions of a single prostate.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research, Male Urological Cancer Research Centre, Sutton, Surrey, UK. jeremy.clark@icr.ac.uk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jhavar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Flohr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eeles
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crundwell
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Christmas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C515553:TMPRSS2-ERG fusion protein, human