title: Recognition of Transmembrane Protein 39A as a Tumor-Specific Marker in Brain Tumor.
abstract: Transmembrane protein 39A (TMEM39A) belongs to the TMEM39 family. TMEM39A gene is a susceptibility locus for multiple sclerosis. In addition, TMEM39A seems to be implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus. However, any possible involvement of TMEM39A in cancer remains largely unknown. In the present report, we provide evidence that TMEM39A may play a role in brain tumors. Western blotting using an anti-TMEM39A antibody indicated that TMEM39A was overexpressed in glioblastoma cell lines, including U87-MG and U251-MG. Deep-sequencing transcriptomic profiling of U87-MG and U251-MG cells revealed that TMEM39A transcripts were upregulated in such cells compared with those of the cerebral cortex. Confocal microscopic analysis of U251-MG cells stained with anti-TMEM39A antibody showed that TMEM39A was located in dot-like structures lying close to the nucleus. TMEM39A probably located to mitochondria or to endosomes. Immunohistochemical analysis of glioma tissue specimens indicated that TMEM39A was markedly upregulated in such samples. Bioinformatic analysis of the Rembrandt knowledge base also supported upregulation of TMEM39A mRNA levels in glioma patients. Together, the results afford strong evidence that TMEM39A is upregulated in glioma cell lines and glioma tissue specimens. Therefore, TMEM39A may serve as a novel diagnostic marker of, and a therapeutic target for, gliomas and other cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Syndrome and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jisoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Syndrome and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyunji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Syndrome and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Quangdon
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Syndrome and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kisun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Syndrome and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Dohoon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Syndrome and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Youngeun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: So Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brazil
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Syndrome and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jongsun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Glioma; Multiple sclerosis; Systemic lupus erythematosus; TMEM39a