G Antigen 7 (GAGE7)

Many human tumors express antigens that are recognized in vitro by cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTLs) derived from the tumor-bearing patient. The MAGE (melanoma-specific antigen) and GAGE (G antigen) gene family members encode such antigens. To screen for genes associated with cancer progression, Chen et al. (1998) performed differential display PCR using sublines of the nontumorigenic, prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-secreting cell line LNCaP that differed in androgen sensitivity and metastatic potential. They isolated 2 members of the GAGE family, GAGEB1 and GAGE7. GAGE7 encodes a 117-amino acid polypeptide that contains 3 potential casein kinase phosphorylation sites, 2 potential protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, and 1 potential N-myristoylation site. Levels of GAGE7 mRNA were not correlated to the degree of tumorigenicity of prostate cancer cell lines.