GAS64, the first amplified and putative non-translated gene

Gene amplification occurs frequently in human glioblastomas. We report the amplification and expression analysis of glioma amplified sequence 64 (GAS64) which was recently identified by microdissection mediated cDNA capture from the amplicon at 12q13-15. Herein we analyzed primary tumor tissues for amplification frequency and found amplification of GAS64 in 5 out of 49 glioblastomas. The amplification frequency of 10% for GAS64 found among glioblastomas is comparable to the frequency described for other genes from the 12q13-15 amplicon. To isolate the full-length cDNA of GAS64, we performed cDNA library screening and RACE. Sequence analysis of the gene revealed no open reading frame longer than 191 bp suggesting that the RNA may function as a non-translated RNA. Non-translated RNAs have been reported to function on the RNA level as regulators of gene expression. Northern hybridization of GAS64 revealed an increased GAS64 expression in many human glioblastomas with and without GAS64 gene amplification. This is the first report on an amplified and expressed gene with a short open reading frame (ORF). GAS64 may be a candidate gene for regulating gene expression in glioblastomas at the RNA level, possibly through expression of a non-translated RNA.