Deleted In Esophageal Cancer 1 (DEC1)

DEC1 is located in a region commonly deleted in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Gene expression is reduced or absent in these carcinomas and thus this is a candidate tumor suppressor gene for esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. The DEC1 gene encodes a deduced 70-amino acid protein. Northern blot analysis detected a 1.4-kb DEC1 transcript in all tissues tested, with highest expression in prostate and testis.

DEC1 expression was lower than normal and often absent in more than half of the esophageal carcinomas examined. Furthermore, DEC1 cDNA was able to exert growth suppressive activity in vitro. Although expression was reduced, no genetic alteration was detected in the DEC1 gene in any of the cancers examined.