A sequence previously identified as metastasis-related encodes an acidic ribosomal phosphoprotein, P2

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Abstract
We have used a metastasis-related human cDNA isolated from a liver metastasis from a colonic adenocarcinoma to screen a human breast carcinoma cDNA library for homologous sequences. Nucleotide sequence analysis of positive clones revealed that the cDNA represents a ribosomal phosphoprotein, P2. The expression of P2 mRNA was significantly higher (Student''s t test, one tail; P .ltoreq. 0.01) in seven fibroadenomas than in seven carcinomas, with an average five-fold difference. This enhanced expression level of P2 mRNA in benign fibroadenomas compared with malignant carcinomas is contrary to that expected, based on earlier work with normal colonic mucosa, colorectal carcinoma and hepatic metastasis. The identification of gene transcripts which differ in abundance and correlate with the metastatis phenotype may be of considerable importance both as diagnostic aids and in defining the changes associated with tumour progression and metastasis at the molecular level. The possible role that ribosomal proteins may play in the progression of carcinoma of the breast is discussed.