Identification and characterization of neogenin, a DCC-related gene

DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer), a candidate tumor suppressor gene located in chromosome band 18q21.2, encodes a transmembrane protein of 1447 amino acids. Neogenin, a protein with nearly 50% amino acid identity to DCC, was recently identified because of its dynamic expression in the developing nervous system and gastrointestinal tract of the chicken. To explore a role for the human neogenin (NGN) gene in cancer, we have isolated cDNAs for two alternatively spliced forms of NGN, encoding proteins of 1461 and 1408 amino acids. Fluorescence in situ hybridization studies (FISH) localized NGN in chromosome band 15q22, a region infrequently affected by alterations in cancer. NGN transcripts of about 7.5 and 5.5 kb were detected in all adult tissues studied. In contrast to the frequent loss of DCC expression, no alterations in NGN expression were observed in more than 50 cancers studied, including glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, colorectal, breast, cervical and pancreatic cancer cell lines and xenografts. Based on their sequence conservation and similar expression during development, DCC and NGN may have related functions. However, the chromosomal location and ubiquitous expression of NGN in various human tumors suggest it is infrequently altered in cancer.