nma, a novel gene, was isolated by using a subtractive hybridization technique in which the gene expression was compared in a panel of human melanoma cell lines with different metastatic potential. nma mRNA expression (1.5 kb) is high in poorly metastatic human melanoma cell lines and xenografts and completely absent in highly metastatic human melanoma cell lines. Fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with the analysis of a panel of human‐rodent somatic cell hybrids indicated that the nma gene is located on human chromosome 10, in the region p11.2–p12.3. Sequence analysis of nma showed no homologies with other known genes or proteins, except for several partially sequenced cDNAs. The predicted amino acid sequence suggests that the protein encoded by nma contains a transmembrane domain. Expression of nma is high in human kidney medulla, placenta and spleen, low in kidney cortex, liver, prostate and gut and absent in lung and muscle. Whereas nma is not expressed in normal skin tissue, expression is high in melanocytes and in 3 out of 11 melanoma metastases tested. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.