Alternative use of genes of the closely-related pp32 family is a common occurrence in human prostate cancer. pp32r1 and pp32r2, the oncogenic members of the pp32 family, are expressed in prostatic adenocarcinoma, while adjacent benign prostate continues to express pp32.
Here we demonstrate that pp32 is expressed in benign prostatic tissue, but pp32r1 and pp32r2, closely-related genes located on different chromosomes, are expressed in prostate cancer.