Molecular cloning and functional analysis of a novel oncogene, cancer-upregulated gene 2 (CUG2).
We examined genome-wide differences in gene expression between tumor biopsies and normal tissues in order to identify differentially regulated genes in tumors. Cancer-upregulated gene 2 (CUG2) was identified as an expressed sequence tag (EST) that exhibits significant differential expression in multiple human cancer types. CUG2 showed weak sequence homology with the down-regulator of transcription 1 (DR1) gene, a human transcription repressor. We found that EGFP-CUG2 fusion proteins were predominantly localized in the nucleus, suggesting their putative role in gene regulation. In addition, CUG2-overexpressing mouse fibroblast cells exhibited distinct cancer-specific phenotypes in vitro and developed into tumors in nude mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that CUG2 is a novel tumor-associated gene that is commonly activated in various human cancers and exhibits high transforming activities; it possibly belongs to a transcription regulator family that is involved in tumor biogenesis.
Lee
Soojin
S
Department of Microbiology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea. leesoojin@cnu.ac.kr
Gang
Jingu
J
Jeon
Sun Bok
SB
Choo
Seung Ho
SH
Lee
Bogman
B
Kim
Young-Gun
YG
Lee
Yang Soon
YS
Jung
Jinyoung
J
Song
Si Young
SY
Koh
Sang Seok
SS
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009857:Oncogenes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins