Cloning and Tissue -Specific Gene Expression Studies with Dlxin-1, a Newly Identified Transcriptional Activator

摘要

Dlxin-1 , a unique member of the necdin/melanoma associated antigen gene(MAGE) family, is a novel protein that binds Dlxin- 5 and regulates its transcriptional function. We have cloned the homology region between Dlxin- 1 and necdin from mouse melanoma cells . Here we report the expression cloning, characterization, and detailed tissue-specific expression studies of Dlxin-1 . A unique expression pattern of Dlxin- 1 emerged from the work wherein strong expression of a 3.2 -Kb transcript was observed in mouse brain and embryos. Amongst the representative established cell lines of different tumor categories studied the presence of transcript was detected only n sarcomas and neuroectodermal tumors. Characteristically, lymphomas, leukaemias, adenocarcinomas, and carcinomas did not express Dlxin- 1. Also , we observed a growth suppression on ectopic expression of this cDNA possibly due to the close homology shared with necdin , a neuron-specific growth suppressor. The extensive homology of our Dlxin- 1 lone to necdin makes it an attractive system to understand the improtance of the necdin/MAGE family of molecules in cell cycle regulaiton