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Aberrant alternative exon use and increased copy number of human metalloprotease‐disintegrin ADAM15 gene in breast cancer cells
Author(s) -
Ortiz Rebekka M.,
Kärkkäinen Iivari,
Huovila AriPekka J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
genes, chromosomes and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.754
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1098-2264
pISSN - 1045-2257
DOI - 10.1002/gcc.20102
Subject(s) - exon , biology , disintegrin , gene isoform , gene , cancer , cancer cell , breast cancer , metalloproteinase , genetics , fluorescence in situ hybridization , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , matrix metalloproteinase , chromosome
ADAM genes have been associated with cancer, with ADAM expression, genomic rearrangements, and, by implication of ADAM proteins in the altered behavior found in tumor cells. In the present study, increased copy number of the ADAM15 gene in human breast cancer cell lines was demonstrated by fluorescence in situ hybridization. This was not reflected in mRNA levels, however. Instead, the use of alternative ADAM15 exons appeared erratic, leading to aberrant combinations of ADAM15 mRNA isoforms in the cancer cells. Clustering analysis indicated that these isoform patterns were nonrandom, suggesting a failure in the regulation mechanism or mechanisms of the alternative exon usage. Altered regulation of alternative exon usage may provide a useful target for cancer diagnostics development. ADAM15 would be particularly appropriate for breast cancer diagnostics because the various combinations of its three alternatively used exons can be readily examined with a simple, straightforward PCR protocol. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.