Diversity of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion transcripts in the human prostate

J. Clark, S. Merson, S. Jhavar, P. Flohr, S. Edwards, C. S. Foster, R. Eeles, F. L. Martin, D. H. Phillips, M. Crundwell, T. Christmas, A. Thompson, C. Fisher, G. Kovacs, C. S. Cooper

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

212 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusions have recently been reported to be present in a high proportion of human prostate cancers. In the current study, we show that great diversity exists in the precise structure of TMPRSS2-ERG hybrid transcripts found in human prostates. Fourteen distinct hybrid transcripts are characterized, each containing different combinations of sequences from the TMPRSS2 and ERG genes. The transcripts include two that are predicted to encode a normal full-length ERG protein, six that encode N-terminal truncated ERG proteins and one that encodes a TMPRSS2-ERG fusion protein. Interestingly, distinct patterns of hybrid transcripts were found in samples taken from separate regions of individual cancer-containing prostates, suggesting that TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusions may be arising independently in different regions of a single prostate.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2667-2673
Number of pages7
JournalOncogene
Volume26
Issue number18
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Oct 2006

Keywords

  • ERG fusion transcripts
  • ERG gene
  • Prostate cancer
  • TMPRSS2 gene

Cite this