Abstract
Molecular processes resulting in the malignant transformation from low- to high-grade astrocytoma remain poorly understood. Using reverse transcriptase PCR, we identified a gene that is differentially expressed in normal brain and low-grade astrocytoma compared to glioblastoma tissues. This gene is identical to human ²2-chimaerin, which encodes a 468-amino acid GTPase-activating protein for p21rac The gene was localized to human chromosome 7pl53 by fluorescence in situ hybridization mapping. Human 02-chimaerin is expressed in a variety of human tissues, with the highest expression level detected in human brain and pancreas. RNase protection assays indicated that the expression level of this gene is high in all the normal brain and low-grade astrocytoma samples tested compared to malignant gliomas. The down-regulation of ²2-chimaerin expression in the high-grade gliomas suggests that decreased expression of this gene may be a feature of progression in the development of malignant glioma.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3456-3461 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Cancer Research |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 15 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 1995 |
| Externally published | Yes |
