Metastatic breast and colon cancer regulated genes

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide which encodes a polypeptide having a sequence at least 90% identical to an amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID NO:17.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 20 contiguous nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:17.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide which encodes at least 8 contiguous amino acids of a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:17.

An isolated and purified subgenomic polynucleotide which hybridizes to the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID NO:17 after washing with 0.2×SSC at 65° C. under highly stringent conditions.

An isolated and purified polypeptide comprising a sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID NO:17, said polypeptide having aspartyl-type protease activity.

An isolated and purified polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:17, said polypeptide having aspartyl-type protease activity.

An isolated and purified polypeptide comprising at least 8 contiguous amino acids of a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence encoded by the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:17, said polypeptide having aspartyl-type protease activity.

An isolated antibody which specifically binds to a polypeptide with an amino acid sequence encoded by the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:17.

A method for detecting a cancerous cell in a patient sample comprising detecting a gene expression product comprising or encoded for by a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:17, wherein presence of the gene expression product indicates that a cell in the sample is cancerous.

A method for diagnosing cancer comprising:

• (a) measuring a level of a gene expression product in a first sample;
• and
• (b) comparing the level of the gene expression product in (a) to a control sample, said control sample comprising a known normal sample of the same tissue type as the first sample, wherein the gene expression product comprises or is encoded for by a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:17, and wherein an increase in the level of the gene expression product in the first sample as compared to the control sample is indicative of cancer.

A method of screening for anti-colon cancer compounds, comprising comparing the level of a gene expression product in a first biological sample in the presence of a test compound to the level of the gene expression product in a second biological sample in the absence of the test compound;

• wherein the gene expression product comprises or is encoded for by a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:17, and wherein a test compound that decreases the level of the gene expression product in the first biological sample as compared to the second biological sample is identified as an anti-colon cancer agent.

A method of screening for anti-colon cancer compounds, comprising comparing the level of aspartyl-type protease activity in a first biological sample in the presence of a test compound to the level of aspartyl-type protease activity in a second biological sample in the absence of the test compound;

• wherein a test compound that decreases the level of aspartyl-type protease activity in the first biological sample as compared to the second biological sample is identified as an anti-colon cancer agent.

A method for predicting propensity for high-grade or low-grade metastatic spread of a colon tumor, comprising detecting the presence of a gene expression product in a colon tumor sample, the gene expression product comprising or encoded for by a nucleotide sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:17, wherein a colon tumor sample which expresses the gene product of SEQ ID NO:17 has a low propensity to metastasize.