Trp-p8, a novel prostate-specific gene, is up-regulated in prostate cancer and other malignancies and shares high homology with transient receptor potential calcium channel proteins.

We have identified and cloned a novel gene, trp-p8, by screening a prostate-specific subtracted cDNA library. The 5694-bp cDNA has a 3312-bp open reading frame, which codes for a 1104 amino acid putative protein with seven transmembrane domains. The predicted protein revealed significant homology with the transient receptor potential (trp) family of Ca(2+) channel proteins. Northern blot analysis indicated that trp-p8 expression within normal human tissues is mostly restricted to prostate epithelial cells. In situ hybridization analysis showed that trp-p8 mRNA expression was at moderate levels in normal prostate tissue and appears to be elevated in prostate cancer. Notably, trp-p8 mRNA was also expressed in a number of nonprostatic primary tumors of breast, colon, lung, and skin origin, whereas transcripts encoding trp-p8 were hardly detected or not detected in the corresponding normal human tissues.