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GAGE Proteins

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

  • 27 Accesses

Synonyms

CT4; G antigen

Definition

Belong to the cancer testis antigen (CTA) family and consist of highly homologous proteins (GAGE 1, GAGE2A-E, GAGE10, GAGE12B-J, and GAGE13).

Characteristics

GAGE proteins are encoded by tandem repeats on chromosome X (p11.2–p11.4 region). GAGE 1 is unique among the GAGE proteins because of an exclusive C-terminal encoded by an exon that is interrupted in the other GAGE genes. The remaining GAGE members are composed of five exons encoding 116–117 amino acids with 98 % identity, while GAGE1 consist of 138 amino acids. The molecular size of GAGE proteins is 26–29 kDa.

In contrast to other CTAs, the expression of which in adult normal tissues is restricted to germ cells of testis, GAGE is also expressed in a subset of oocytes of resting primordial follicles and in maturing oocytes of ovaries. In the testicular seminiferous tubule, GAGE expression is restricted to the spermatogonia and, to a lesser degree, the primary spermatocytes. GAGE gene transcripts...

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References

  • Eynde B, Van den Peeters O, De Backer O et al (1995) A new family of genes coding for an antigen recognized by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes on a human melanoma. J Exp Med 182(3):689–698

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  • Gjerstorff MF, Johansen LE, Nielsen O et al (2006) Restriction of GAGE protein expression to subpopulations of cancer cells is independent of genotype and may limit the use of GAGE proteins as targets for cancer immunotherapy. Br J Cancer 94(12):1864–1873

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  • Simpson AJ, Caballero OL, Jungbluth A et al (2005) Cancer/testis antigens, gametogenesis and cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 5(8):615–625 (Review)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cancer and Inflammation Reserch, Institute fo Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark

    Henrik J. Ditzel

  2. Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark

    Morten F. Gjerstorff

Authors
  1. Henrik J. Ditzel
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  2. Morten F. Gjerstorff
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henrik J. Ditzel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Ditzel, H.J., Gjerstorff, M.F. (2015). GAGE Proteins. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2301-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2301-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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