Open AccessStructure, Expression and Chromosome Mapping of MLZE , a Novel Gene Which Is Preferentially Expressed in Metastatic Melanoma Cells
Author(s) -
Watabe Kenji,
Ito Akihiko,
Asada Hideo,
Endo Yuichi,
Kobayashi Toshiko,
Nakamoto Ken'i,
Itami Satoshi,
Takao Sonshin,
Shinomura Yasuhisa,
Aikou Takashi,
Yoshikawa Kunihiko,
Matsuzawa Yuji,
Kitamura Yukihiko,
Nojima Hiroshi
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
japanese journal of cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 0910-5050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2001.tb01076.x
Subject(s) - melanoma , biology , northern blot , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , gene expression , fluorescence in situ hybridization , in situ hybridization , immunohistochemistry , complementary dna , pathology , cancer research , chromosome , medicine , genetics , immunology
We isolated a novel gene, termed MLZE , from a B16‐BL6 cDNA library after subtraction of B16‐F10 mRNA. Expression levels of mouse MLZE (mMLZE ) increased in accordance with metastatic ability of B16 melanoma sublines. Human homolog of mMlze (hMlze) contained one leucine zipper structure and two potential nuclear localizing signals. Northern blot analysis of multiple human tissues showed that h MLZE was expressed primarily in trachea and spleen. We mapped the h MLZE gene (by fluorescence in situ hybridization) to 8q24.1‐2, which contains the c‐myc gene and is often amplified in malignant melanoma. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the number of hMlze‐positive cases was significantly larger in Clark levels III, IV and V melanomas (6/11=55%) than in Clark levels I and II melanomas (2/15=13%). In two cases of hMlze‐positive melanomas, the strength of hMlze staining increased substantially in the deep component of the tumor. Considering that melanomas above Clark level II are more metastatic than those below Clark level III, these findings suggested that MLZE is one of the genes whose expression is upregulated during the course of acquisition of metastatic potential in melanoma cells.