Chromosomal localization of the protein tyrosine phosphatase G1 gene and characterization of the aberrant transcripts in human colon cancer cells.

We have recently described the isolation of the human PTPG1 gene which encodes a member of intracellular protein tyrosine phosphatases that may be candidates for tumor suppressor genes. In order to investigate the abnormality of the PTPG1 transcript in various human cancer cell lines, we have analyzed the consensus catalytic region of PTPG1 cDNA, using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In a colorectal carcinoma cell line, DLD-1, we found three aberrant transcripts. Sequencing analysis revealed that one had a missense point mutation and the remainders contained 77 bp and 173 bp deletions, respectively. These alterations might directly affect their phosphatase activities. Our findings provide the first evidence for the aberrant transcripts of the protein tyrosine phosphatase in human cancer cells, and suggest that the aberration of PTPG1 gene might be involved in the tumorigenesis. Moreover, the human PTPG1 gene is localized on chromosome 7q11.23, a region with frequent abnormalities implicated in some human cancers.