Expression pattern of the PRDX25 RAB1A, RAB1B, RAB5A and RAB25 genes in normal and cancer cervical tissues

Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent malignancy among women worldwide, and additional objective diagnostic markers for this disease are needed. Given the link between cancer development and alternative splicing, we aimed to analyze the splicing patterns of the PRDX2, RAB1A, RAB1B, RAB5A and RAB25 genes, which are associated with different cancers, in normal cervical tissue, preinvasive cervical lesions and invasive cervical tumors, to identify new objective diagnostic markers. Biopsies of normal cervical tissue, preinvasive cervical lesions and invasive cervical tumors, were subjected to rapid amplification of cDNA 3' ends (3' RACE) RT-PCR. Resulting PCR products were analyzed on agarose gels, gel-purified and sequenced. Normal cervical tissue, preinvasive cervical lesions and invasive cervical tumors contained one PCR product corresponding to full-length PRDX2, RAB5A and RAB25 transcripts. All tissues contained two RAB1A-specific PCR products corresponding to the full-length transcript and one new alternatively spliced RAB1A transcript. Invasive cervical tumors contained one PCR product corresponding to the full-length RAB1B transcript, while all normal cervical tissue and preinvasive cervical lesions contained both the full-length RAB1B transcript and three new alternatively spliced RAB1B transcripts. Alternative splicing of the RAB1A transcript occurs in all cervical tissues, while alternative splicing of the RAB1B transcript occurs in normal cervical tissue and in preinvasive cervical lesions; not in invasive cervical tumors.