TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion in small cell carcinoma of the prostate.
Recent studies have shown that most prostate cancers carry the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion. Here we evaluated the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion in small cell carcinoma of the prostate (n = 12) in comparison with small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder (n = 12) and lung (n = 11). Fluorescence in situ hybridization demonstrated rearrangement of the ERG gene in 8 cases of prostatic small cell carcinoma (67%), and the rearrangement was associated with deletion of the 5' ERG gene in 7 cases, but rearrangement of the ERG gene was not present in any small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder or lung. Next we evaluated the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion in nude mouse xenografts that were derived from 2 prostatic small cell carcinomas carrying the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion. Two transcripts encoded by the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and DNA sequencing demonstrated that the 2 transcripts were composed of fusions of exon 1 of the TMPRSS2 gene to exon 4 or 5 of the ERG gene. Our study demonstrates the specific presence of TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion in prostatic small cell carcinoma, which may be helpful in distinguishing small cell carcinoma of prostatic origin from nonprostatic origins. The high prevalence of the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion in prostatic small cell carcinoma as well as adenocarcinoma implies that small cell carcinoma may share a common pathogenic pathway with adenocarcinoma in the prostate.
Department of Pathology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA.
Charles C
CC
Guo
Jane Y
JY
Dancer
Yan
Y
Wang
Ana
A
Aparicio
Nora M
NM
Navone
Patricia
P
Troncoso
Bogdan A
BA
Czerniak
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D050939:Gene Fusion; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics
D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C515553:TMPRSS2-ERG fusion protein, human; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C421305:TMPRSS2 protein, human