MORC4, a novel member of the MORC family, is highly expressed in a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.
The OX-TES-4 antigen originally elicited an antibody response in 50% of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients but not in control subjects. OX-TES-4 is encoded by a novel gene, MORC4, located at chromosome Xq22.3. The MORC4 protein contains a HATPase-c domain, CW zinc finger motif, nuclear localisation signals and a nuclear matrix-binding domain, together with a coiled-coil region. MORC4 mRNA is widely expressed at low levels in normal tissues, showing highest expression levels in placenta and testis. mRNA levels were increased in non-germinal centre-derived DLBCL and Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines, compared with germinal centre-derived DLBCL cell lines and normal B cells. Nineteen DLBCL patients (66%) expressed significantly higher levels of MORC4 mRNA than normal B cells (P = 0.0031). The differential expression of MORC4 identifies this molecule as a potential lymphoma biomarker, whose overexpression may contribute to the immunological recognition of MORC4 by a subgroup of DLBCL patients.
Liggins
Amanda P
AP
LRF Lymphoma Antigens Group, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK. amanda.liggins@ndcls.ox.ac.uk
Cooper
Christopher D O
CD
Lawrie
Charles H
CH
Brown
Philip J
PJ
Collins
Graham P
GP
Hatton
Chris S
CS
Pulford
Karen
K
Banham
Alison H
AH
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C523050:MORC4 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger