cDNA subtraction hybridization: a review and an application to neuroblastoma

Recent advances in molecular biological techniques have increased our capability to distinguish the small differences in gene expression between subpopulations of cells found within specific tissues or tumor isolates. We use subtractive hybridization or subtractive cloning to generate information regarding genes that direct various aspects of mammalian embryonic development. The technique also is used to identify genes with specificity for particular tissues or cell types or those that regulate various processes in the cell. Also, subject to analysis is the aberrant expression of genes involved in tumorigenesis. Another use is analysis of subpopulations of cell types previously identified within individual solid tumors. We used subtractive cloning in the analysis of cell line subpopulations derived from the human pediatric tumor neuroblastoma. This has resulted in the identification of novel genes that may be useful in the study of this disease.