[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.
[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.