Serological cloning of a melanocyte rab guanosine 5'-triphosphate-binding protein and a chromosome condensation protein from a melanoma complementary DNA library Journal Article


Authors: Jäger, D.; Stockert, E.; Jäger, E.; Güre, A. O.; Scanlan, M. J.; Knuth, A.; Old, L. J.; Chen, Y. T.
Article Title: Serological cloning of a melanocyte rab guanosine 5'-triphosphate-binding protein and a chromosome condensation protein from a melanoma complementary DNA library
Abstract: Characterization of immunogenic human melanoma antigens has been a major focus of tumor immunologists over the past two decades, and a broad array of antigens recognized by antibodies and T cells in the autologous host has been defined. In the present study, a melanoma library was screened by SEREX (serological analysis of cDNA expression libraries), and 43 genes were isolated, 2 of which, NY-MEL-1 and NY-MEL-3, encode novel gene products with differential tissue expression. NY-MEL-1 encodes a new rab GTP-binding protein, rab38. Among >40 rab proteins, rab38 has a unique COOH terminus which would allow posttranslational farnesylation and palmitoylation, lipid modifications normally occurring in ras proteins but not in other tab proteins. It is also the only rab gene showing a predominant mRNA expression in melanocytes, a cell-specific expression pattern likely related to melanosomal transport and docking. Northern blot analysis showed no detectable expression in other normal tissues. Consistent with this lineage specificity, rab38 mRNA is expressed in 80-90% of melanoma (17 of 19), but rarely in nonmelanocytic malignancies (1 of 16). The second novel gene isolated, NY-MEL-3, encodes a mitotic protein highly homologous to the Xenopus chromosome condensation protein XCAP-G, designated hCAP-G. Analysis of hCAP-G mRNA expression showed highest expression in the testis among normal tissues and variable expression in tumor cells, reflecting the proliferative activity in these cells. This mitosis-related expression suggests hCAP-G as a possible proliferation marker and a potential prognostic indicator in cancer. These findings provide further support that SEREX can define biologically significant molecules in cancer.
Keywords: human cell; animals; chromosomal proteins, non-histone; melanoma; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; gene expression; tumor cells, cultured; gene library; molecular cloning; cloning, molecular; cancer genetics; molecular sequence data; sequence homology, amino acid; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; sequence alignment; base sequence; rats; databases, factual; genetic screening; guanine nucleotide binding protein; northern blotting; xenopus; gene isolation; dna library; chromosome condensation; rab gtp-binding proteins; humans; human; priority journal; article
Journal Title: Cancer Research
Volume: 60
Issue: 13
ISSN: 0008-5472
Publisher: American Association for Cancer Research  
Date Published: 2000-07-01
Start Page: 3584
End Page: 3591
Language: English
PUBMED: 10910072
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 18 November 2015 -- Source: Scopus
Citation Impact
MSK Authors
  1. Matthew J Scanlan
    49 Scanlan
  2. Ali O Gure
    29 Gure
  3. Lloyd J Old
    593 Old