SAGE identification and fluorescence imaging analysis of genes and transcripts in melanomas and precursor lesions.

Melanomas of sporadic and familial origin develop in a stepwise fashion in approximately 40-80% of all cases; yet, the genetic events governing the progression from nevocytic precursor lesions to early and advanced-stage melanomas remain largely unknown. In the present study, we provide an analysis of genes that were identified in four recently generated primary and metastatic melanoma Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) libraries. In addition to SAGE tags corresponding to transcripts with unknown function, or to unidentified transcripts, known genes were identified that hitherto have not been shown to be expressed or have a function in early and advanced-stage melanomas and/or melanoma precursor lesions. Conducting fluorescence imaging analysis with cyanine dye-conjugated antibodies and oligonucleotides, we established the expression pattern of ATM, HEI10, PKD1, KAI11, IL-10R, and hypothetical protein FLJ11151 in nevus and melanoma specimens.