TUC338 (transcribed ultra-conserved region 338) is an ultra-conserved element which is transcribed to give a non-coding RNA.[1][2] The TUC338 gene was first identified as uc.338, along with 480 other ultra-conserved elements in the human genome.[3] Expression of this RNA gene has been found to dramatically increase in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.[4]
The TUC338 RNA gene is 590 base-pairs long, and partially overlaps the gene encoding Poly(rC)-binding protein 2 (PCBP2), a protein involved in mRNA processing.[5] Despite this overlap, PCBP2 and TUC388 were found to be independently expressed.[4]
TUC338 is predicted to function in cell growth, possibly at the interface between G1 phase and S phase, and could potentially present a therapeutic target to treat HCC cells.[4] Experimental evidence shows knocking out TUC338 using siRNA reduced the growth rate of both mouse and human HCC cells.[4]
^Bejerano G, Lowe CB, Ahituv N, King B, Siepel A, Salama SR, Rubin EM, Kent WJ, Haussler D (May 2006). "A distal enhancer and an ultraconserved exon are derived from a novel retroposon". Nature. 441 (7089): 87–90. Bibcode:2006Natur.441...87B. doi:10.1038/nature04696. PMID16625209. S2CID4387930.
^Czyzyk-Krzeska MF, Bendixen AC (March 1999). "Identification of the poly(C) binding protein in the complex associated with the 3′ untranslated region of erythropoietin messenger RNA". Blood. 93 (6): 2111–2120. doi:10.1182/blood.V93.6.2111.406k24_2111_2120. PMID10068686.