MORC4, a novel member of the MORC family, is highly expressed in a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Journal article

The OX-TES-4 antigen originally elicited an antibody response in 50% of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients but not in control subjects. OX-TES-4 is encoded by a novel gene, MORC4, located at chromosome Xq22.3. The MORC4 protein contains a HATPase-c domain, CW zinc finger motif, nuclear localisation signals and a nuclear matrix-binding domain, together with a coiled-coil region. MORC4 mRNA is widely expressed at low levels in normal tissues, showing highest expression levels in placenta and testis. mRNA levels were increased in non-germinal centre-derived DLBCL and Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines, compared with germinal centre-derived DLBCL cell lines and normal B cells. Nineteen DLBCL patients (66%) expressed significantly higher levels of MORC4 mRNA than normal B cells (P = 0.0031). The differential expression of MORC4 identifies this molecule as a potential lymphoma biomarker, whose overexpression may contribute to the immunological recognition of MORC4 by a subgroup of DLBCL patients.

Authors: Liggins, A; Cooper, C; Lawrie, C; Brown, P; Collins, G

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: British journal of haematology
• Volume: 138
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 479-486
• Publication date: 2007-08-01
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2007.06680.x
• EISSN: 1365-2141
• ISSN: 0007-1048
• Language: English
• Keywords: Base Sequence; Gene Expression Profiling; Placenta; Nuclear Proteins; Female; Male; Cell Line, Tumor; B-Lymphocytes; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Lymphoma, B-Cell; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Testis; Molecular Sequence Data; Sequence Alignment; RNA, Messenger; In Situ Hybridization; Pregnancy; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Tumor Markers, Biological; Humans