Transcription Elongation Factor A Like Protein 7 (TCEAL7)

The deduced 100-amino acid protein has a coiled-coil domain. TCEAL7 shares amino acid similarity with TCEAL1, TCEAL6, and NGFRAP1.RT-PCR analysis detected expression in normal ovarian epithelial cells but demonstrated loss of expression in ovarian cancer cell lines and primary tumors, confirming downregulation in ovarian tumors. Studies with 5-aza-2-prime-deoxycytidine demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in TCEAL7 expression. The authors concluded that methylation of a CpG SmaI site plays a role in controlling TCEAL7 expression and activation in primary ovarian tumors.There was no evidence for loss of heterozygosity, consistent with the hypothesis that the TCEAL7 locus displays X inactivation and that tumor-related epigenetic silencing inactivated the active allele.