Quantitation of Estrogen Receptor mRNA and Its Alternatively Spliced mRNAs in Breast Tumor Cells and Tissues

Abstract

Estrogen receptor (ER) mRNA exists as wild-type (full-length) and alternatively spliced variants in cell lines, normal tissues, and tumors. Most of the alternatively spliced variants discovered so far are missing one or more complete exons. RNase protection and RNA–PCR assays used previously to determine the relative concentration of a particular ER spliced-variant mRNA to wild-type mRNA have produced equivocal results because the probes/primers targeted only small regions within the nucleotide sequence. Variant ER mRNAs missing an exon outside the probe/primer region will react as if they were wild-type and any alternatively spliced variants containing a deletion at the probe/primer annealing site(s) will not be detected. A highly sensitive, competitive RNA–PCR assay has been developed that is quantitative with respect to the relative composition of wild-type ER and its alternatively spliced-mRNA forms, and semiquantitative with respect to their concentrations in cells and tissues. Separation and quantitation of the products are rapidly and accurately achieved by, respectively, capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence. Wild-type ER mRNA concentration can be measured independently of all the reported exon deletion forms in a single PCR assay. Specific exon deletion forms can be measured by ER cDNA amplification with overlapping primer sets. Results obtained with RNAs isolated from two MCF-7 cell lines, a T-47D cell line, and five breast tumor tissues are presented.