Oral Cancer Overexpressed Protein 1 (ORAOV1)

Using positional candidate gene analysis, Huang et al. (2002) identified ORAOV1, which they called TAOS1, within an amplified region of chromosome 11q13 in oral squamous cell carcinomas. The deduced 137-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of 15.4 kD and shares 77% identity with the mouse homolog.

Northern blot analysis revealed transcripts of 2.5 and 1.5 kb expressed in all 12 normal tissues examined, with highest levels in placenta, kidney, and skeletal muscle. Northern blot analysis of several oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines revealed increased expression in the cell lines carrying the 11q13 amplification, while expression was low in cell lines not carrying the amplification and in normal human oral keratinocytes.