GPI ANCHORED GLYCOPROTEIN ACA AS A NOVEL TUMOR MARKER

摘要

Described is a GPI-anchored surface glycoprotein having a GPI-anchor which is characterized by a non-acetylated inositol ring and diacyl glycerol as lipid tail of the anchor. A particular glycoprotein of the invention, ACA, is strongly expressed in melanoma cells and some leukemia cells, thus, is an useful marker for diagnosis of said tumors. The invention also relates to salts, functional derivatives and active fractions of ACA having substantially the same spectrum of biological activities of ACA. The invention also relates to a process for the purification of ACA, to its cloning and its production by recombinant DNA techniques. It further relates to diagnostic compositions comprising an anti-ACA-antibody or an oligonucleotide probe capable of hybridizing to ACA-mRNA and to pharmaceutical compounds containing a compound capable of reducing the expression of ACA or the activity of the protein.