Differential expression of the LGI and SLIT families of genes in human cancer cells

The LGI and SLIT genes have a distinctive leucine-rich repeat motif in the N-terminal end of the protein which is indicative of either receptor function or an interaction with the extracellular matrix. Members of the LGI and SLIT family of genes have been implicated in specific cancers and have been suggested to have a restricted pattern of expression in normal cells. To investigate the extent and distribution of the expression of these genes in cancer cells we have analyzed their expression levels in a range of tumor cell types. Different tumor types appear to hold a preference for the specific members of the families which are expressed. Differential expression between cell lines, from the same tumor type, implies a role for inactivation and reactivation of these genes during tumorigenesis. The detailed characterization of the expression pattern in these tumor cells offers the opportunity to perform a functional analysis of these individual genes.