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General Comment |
The Transmembrane Protease Serine (TMPRSS3/TADG-12) D Variant: A Potential Candidate for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Intervention in Ovarian Cancer.
Sawasaki T, et al .
The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of splice variants of the TADG-12 (TMPRSS3) gene in normal ovarian epithelial tissue and ovarian carcinoma and further to associate the expression of TADG-12 variant with clinicopathologic characteristics if such an association exists. TADG-12D variant expression was examined by semiquantitative PCR in 50 ovarian tumors [41 adenocarcinomas, 3 low malignant potential (LMP) tumors, and 6 adenomas] and 7 normal ovaries. In carcinomas as well as LMP tumors and adenomas, TADG-12D variant mRNA expression was significantly elevated compared to that in normal ovary samples. TADG-12 has several splice variants, one of which we originally identified and 3 others identified by Scott et al. . We previously examined the expression of TADG-12V variant and here we confirm the overexpression of TADG-12D variant in ovarian carcinomas. Moreover, TADG-12D variant mRNA expression level in carcinomas was significantly elevated compared to that in adenomas and TADG-12D variant mRNA expression level in advanced clinical stage diseases was significantly higher than that in early stage diseases in ovarian carcinomas. With regard to histological type, TADG-12D variant mRNA expression level in mucinous adenocarcinomas was significantly higher than those in the other tissue subtypes. These features imply that TADG-12D variant expression may play an important role in ovarian cancer development and progression, and this variant may be useful both as a molecular target for therapy and/or a diagnostic marker.
NCBI Summary:
This gene encodes a protein that belongs to the serine protease family. The encoded protein contains a serine protease domain, a transmembrane domain, an LDL receptor-like domain, and a scavenger receptor cysteine-rich domain. Serine proteases are known to be involved in a variety of biological processes, whose malfunction often leads to human diseases and disorders. This gene was identified by its association with both congenital and childhood onset autosomal recessive deafness. This gene is expressed in fetal cochlea and many other tissues, and is thought to be involved in the development and maintenance of the inner ear or the contents of the perilymph and endolymph. This gene was also identified as a tumor-associated gene that is overexpressed in ovarian tumors. Alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2012]
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