Vesicular, Overexpressed In Cancer, Prosurvival Protein 1 (VOPP1)

ECOP contains a signal peptide and is generally hydrophilic. Northern blot analysis of normal human tissues detected 3.6- and 4.2-kb transcripts with strong expression in thymus and ovary, moderate expression in spleen, testes, colon, and small intestine, and weak expression in placenta, prostate, and liver. RT-PCR analysis detected ECOP coamplified with EGFR and overexpressed in about 35% of glioblastomas examined.ECOP expression increased transcriptional activity of an NF-kappa-B (NFKB) promoter in a dose-dependent manner. ECOP transcriptional activity increased 3-fold and 1.5-fold in the presence of IL1-beta (IL1B) and TNF-alpha (TNF) stimulation, respectively. Mobility shift assays and immunocytochemistry analysis showed that ECOP increased NFKB DNA binding and nuclear translocation.