title: A novel splice variant of the human dicer gene is expressed in neuroblastoma cells.
abstract: Dicer is a ribonuclease playing a key role in the biogenesis of microRNAs and small interfering RNAs. Here we report the identification of a novel splice variant of human dicer gene, the first one bearing a modified coding sequence. It encodes a truncated protein, t-Dicer that lacks the dsRNA-binding domain and is defective in one of the two RNase III catalytic centers. The splice variant was found in neuroblastoma cells and in cells induced to neuronal differentiation, whereas it was not detectable in other cell lines or in normal tissues. Interestingly, it occurred in primary neuroblastic tumors, mainly in stroma poor neuroblastomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Second University of Naples, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Potenza
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scaruffi
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Tonini
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C408087:DICER1 protein, human; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases