Cell adhesion molecule Nr‐CAM is over‐expressed in human brain tumors

• Published in: International journal of cancer Vol. 76; no. 4; pp. 451 - 458
• Main Authors: Sehgal, Anil, Boynton, Alton L., Young, Ronald F., Vermeulen, Sandra S., Yonemura, Kenneth S., Kohler, Erik P., Aldape, Hector C., Simrell, Charles R., Murphy, Gerald P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 18.05.1998; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - metabolism; Brain Neoplasms - metabolism; Cell Adhesion Molecules; Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal - metabolism; Cloning, Molecular; Humans; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Neurology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses; Human; Intracranial; Nervous system diseases; Immunoglobulins; Neural cell adhesion molecule; Central nervous system disease; Cell adhesion molecule; Gene overexpression; Malignant tumor; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19980518)76:4<451::AID-IJC1>3.0.CO;2-Q

Using the technique of differential display‐polymerase chain reaction (DD‐PCR), we isolated a cDNA fragment that is over‐expressed in glioblastoma multiforme tissue as compared to normal brain tissue. Sequence analysis indicated that this sequence is identical to the previously isolated human neuron‐glia‐related cell adhesion molecule hNr‐CAM. Gene‐specific RT‐PCR analysis indicated that hNr‐CAM is over‐expressed in high‐grade astrocytomas, gliomas and glioblastoma tumor tissues as compared to normal brain tissue. High levels of hNr‐CAM expression also were observed in cell lines derived from astrocytomas, gliomas and glioblastoma multiforme tumors. Low levels of hNr‐CAM expression were observed in neuroblastoma, meningiomas, melanoma, normal breast and prostate tumor tissues. Northern blot analysis showed an alternatively spliced mRNA of 1.4 kb in several tumors as compared to the 7.5 kb transcript found in normal brain tissue. Genomic Southern blot analysis of DNA from 3 brain tumor cell lines showed that over‐expression of hNr‐CAM in brain tumors was not due to gene amplification. In situ hybridization analysis indicated that 11 of the 20 human brain tumor samples studied showed hNr‐CAM over‐expression. Our results suggest that hNr‐CAM is over‐expressed in malignant brain tumors and can serve as a novel marker for brain tumor detection and perhaps therapy. Int. J. Cancer 76:451–458, 1998.© 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.