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J. Exp. Med.,
Volume 187, Number 3, February 2, 1998 289-296
By


From the * Biology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 1-1, Tsukiji 5-chome,
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104, Japan; the We previously isolated a partial cDNA fragment of a novel gene, Elm1 (expressed in low-metastatic cells), that is expressed in low-metastatic but not in high-metastatic K-1735 mouse melanoma cells. Here we determined the full-length cDNA structure of Elm1 and investigated the
effect of Elm1 expression on growth and metastatic potential of K-1735 cells. The Elm1 gene
encodes a predicted protein of 367 amino acids showing ~40% amino acid identity with the
CCN (connective tissue growth factor [CTGF], Cyr61/Cef10, neuroblastoma overexpressed
gene [Nov]) family proteins, which consist of secreted cysteine-rich proteins with growth regulatory functions. Elm1 is also a cysteine-rich protein and contains a signal peptide and four
domains conserved in the CCN family proteins. Elm1 was highly conserved, expressed ubiquitously in diverse organs, and mapped to mouse chromosome 15. High-metastatic K-1735 M-2
cells, which did not express Elm1, were transfected with an Elm1 expression vector, and several stable clones with Elm1 expression were established. The in vivo growth rates of cells expressing a high level of Elm1 were remarkably slower than those of cells expressing a low level of Elm1. Metastatic potential of transfectants was reduced in proportion to the level of Elm1
expression. Thus, Elm1 is a novel gene of CCN family that can suppress the in vivo growth
and metastatic potential of K-1735 mouse melanoma cells.
Department of Urology, Tokyo Women's Medical College,
Kawadacho 8-chome, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 162, Japan; and the § Department of Mammalian
Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 1-111, Tanida, Mishima, Shizuoka 411, Japan
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