Identification of consensus genes expressed in plasmacytomas but not B lymphomas

We have combined subtractive cDNA and PCR technologies to construct and analyze a plasmacytoma minus a highly differentiated B lymphoma subtractive cDNA library. We detected no plasmacytoma-specific clones by hybridization with differential cDNA probes or the subtractive insert. However, random selection of 115 clones has identified 16 quantitatively subtractive and 39 qualitatively subtractive clones. From these clones we have identified 8 potentially interesting genes. One quantitatively subtractive clone (clone 315) identifies an mRNA that is expressed in most plasmacytoma cell lines, but is expressed at an approximately 10-fold lower level in B and pre-B lymphoma cell lines; preliminary evidence suggests that the expression of this gene is increased by IL-6. From the 31 unrelated qualitatively subtractive clones, we have identified two classes of genes that are expressed in one or none of 8 B lymphomas examined: 1) those expressed in most plasmacytoma and pre-B lymphoma cell lines (clone 70 and clone 260); and 2) those expressed in most plasmacytoma cell lines, but not in any of the ten pre-B lymphomas examined (clones 251, 289A, 289B, 326, 291).