A TIMP-1 splice variant transcript: possible role in regulation of TIMP-1 expression

A splice variant of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) mRNA lacking exon 2 (TIMP-1-v2) has been identified in human cancer cells and in colorectal and breast cancer tumors. The purpose of this study was (1) to study the level of full length TIMP-1 and TIMP-1-v2 transcripts in colorectal tumors; (2) to investigate if TIMP-1-v2 is translated to protein.

Full length TIMP-1 and TIMP-1-v2 mRNA levels were compared between colorectal tumors and normal mucosa by Q-PCR. Both full length TIMP-1 and TIMP-1-v2 transcripts were upregulated in tumor tissue. However, the level of TIMP-1-v2 relative to full length TIMP-1 was higher in normal compared to tumor tissue.

Translation of TIMP-1-v2 to protein was analyzed in CHO cells. In this system, no TIMP-1-v2 protein was produced. Thus, the variant transcript seems to be an untranslated mRNA. These findings suggest that alternative splicing of TIMP-1 pre-mRNA to TIMP-1-v2 mRNA might be involved in regulating TIMP-1 expression.