Cloning and characterization of a novel human BRMS1 transcript variant in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

• BRMS1.vh is a novel exon-skipping transcript variant of human BRMS1 gene.
• BRMS1.vh suppresses NF-γB signaling in HCC cells.
• Expression of BRMS1.vh sensitizes HCC cells to apoptotic stimuli.
• BRMS1.vh suppresses tumor growth in vivo.

Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) is able to suppress tumor metastasis without affecting primary tumor growth in various cancers. Here, we report a novel transcript variant of human BRMS1, termed BRMS1.vh. BRMS1.vh is identical to the major BRMS1 variant (BRMS1.v1) except for missing base pairs 683–775, encoding a 215-amino acid protein lacking a functional nuclear localization sequence. Expression of BRMS1.vh in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells suppressed NF-κB signaling pathway, sensitized cells to apoptotic stimuli, leading to suppressed tumor growth. Taken together, our results suggest a potential role for BRMS1.vh in regulating cell apoptosis and tumor growth in HCC.