Biomedical subjects

B E Weissman

Publications and source records attributed to B E Weissman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Inactivation of human SRBC, located within the 11p15.5-p15.4 tumor suppressor region, in breast and lung cancers.

A cDNA clone encoding human SRBC [serum deprivation response factor (sdr)-related gene product that binds to c-kinase] was isolated in a yeast two-hybrid screening, with amino acids 1-304 of BRCA1 as the probe. The human SRBC gene (hSRBC) was mapped to chromosome region 11p15.5-p15.4, close to marker D11S1323, at which frequent loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has been observed in sporadic breast, lung, ovarian, and other types of adult cancers as well as childhood tumors. hSRBC-coding region mutations including frame shift and truncation mutations were detected in a few ovarian and lung cancer cell lines. More significantly, the expression of hSRBC protein was down-regulated in a large fraction [30 (70%) of 43] of breast, lung, and ovarian cancer cell lines, whereas strong expression of hSRBC protein was detected in normal mammary and lung epithelial cells. The down-regulation of hSRBC expression in cancer cells was associated with hypermethylation of CpG dinucleotides in its promoter region, and 3 (60%) of 5 primary breast tumors and 11 (79%) of 14 primary lung tumors were also found to be hypermethylated. Treatment of breast cancer MCF7 cells with 5'azacytidine and Trichostatin A resulted in expression of hSRBC, confirming DNA methylation as the mode of inactivation. Our results suggest that epigenetic or mutational inactivation of hSRBC may contribute to the pathogenesis of several types of human cancers, marking hSRBC as a candidate tumor suppressor gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

Analysis of the expression of cell cycle regulators in Ewing cell lines: EWS-FLI-1 modulates p57KIP2and c-Myc expression.

Ewing tumour is characterized by specific chromosome translocations which fuse EWS to a subset of genes encoding ETS transcription factors, most frequently FLI-1. We report the analysis of the expression of various cell cycle regulators both in Ewing tumour derived cell lines and in different cellular models with either inducible or constitutive EWS-FLI-1 cDNA expression. In Ewing cell lines, cyclin D1, CDK4, Rb, p27KIP1 and c-Myc were consistently highly expressed whereas p57KIP2, p15INK4B and p14ARF demonstrated undetectable or low expression levels. The amount of p16INK4A, p21CIP1, p18INKAC and CDK6 was variable from one cell line to the other. The inducible expression of EWS-FLI-1 led to a strong upregulation of c-Myc and a considerable downregulation of p57KIP2. Other proteins did not show evident modification. High c-Myc and very low p57KIP2 expression levels were also observed in neuroblastoma NGP cells constitutively expressing EWS-FLI-1 as compared to parental cells. Analysis of the p57KIP2 promoter indicated that EWS-FLI-1 downregulates, possibly through an indirect mechanism, the transcription of this gene. Finally, we show that ectopic expression of p57KIP2 in Ewing cells blocks proliferation through a complete G1 arrest. These results suggest that the modulation of p57(KIP2) expression by EWS-FLI-1 is a fundamental step in Ewing tumorigenesis.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2001

Characterization of SWI/SNF protein expression in human breast cancer cell lines and other malignancies.

Organization of genomic DNA into chromatin aids in the regulation of gene expression by limiting access to transcriptional machinery. The SWI/SNF family of complexes, which are conserved from yeast to humans, are ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling enzymes required for the transcription of a number of genes in yeast. In humans, the gene encoding the BAF47/hSNF5 subunit of the complex, located at 22q11.2, has been found to be mutated in a number of human tumors including rhabdoid, rhabdomyosarcoma, chronic myeloid leukemia, and CNS tumors such as medulloblastomas and choroid plexus carcinomas. In addition, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has been reported for the BAF47 region in breast and liver cancer. LOH has also been reported in breast and ovarian cancer within 17q12-25, a gene-rich area including BRCA1, BAF60B, and BAF57. Interestingly, the gene encoding the BAF155/hSWI3 subunit of the complex maps to 3p21-p23, an area of chromosomal deletion seen in a number of human adenocarcinomas including breast, kidney, pancreas, and ovary. To look for abnormalities in these proteins as well as the SWI/SNF complex in general, we have determined the protein status of core human SWI/SNF components BAF170, BAF155, BAF57, BAF53a, and BAF47 in 21 breast cell lines. The complex status in other human tumor cell lines of various tissue types was also examined. We also determined the protein status of the human SWI2 homologues, hBRM/SWI2alpha and BRG1/SWI2beta as well as two other proteins found in human SWI/SNF complexes, BAF180 and BAF250. In this study, we identified the first cell line negative for the BAF57 protein as well as a pancreatic carcinoma cell line negative for both the BRG-1 and hBRM proteins.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2000

The BRG-1 subunit of the SWI/SNF complex regulates CD44 expression.

Aberrant regulation of CD44, a transmembrane glycoprotein, has been implicated in the growth and metastasis of numerous tumors. Although both CD44 overexpression and loss have been implicated in tumor progression, the mechanism of CD44 down-regulation in these tumor types is not known. By immunoblot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis we determined that a cervical carcinoma cell line, C33A, lacks CD44 expression. To determine how CD44 is down-regulated in C33A cells, we utilized cell fusions of C33A cells with a CD44-expressing cell line (SAOS-2). We found that SAOS-2 fusion restored CD44 expression in C33A cells, suggesting that a trans-acting factor present in SAOS-2 cells promotes CD44 production. C33A cells are BRG-1-deficient, and we found that CD44 was absent in another BRG-1-deficient tumor cell line, indicating that loss of BRG-1 may be a general mechanism by which cells lose CD44. Reintroduction of BRG-1 into these cells restored CD44 expression. Furthermore, disruption of BRG-1 function through the use of dominant-negative BRG-1 demonstrated the requirement of BRG-1 in CD44 regulation. Finally, we show that Cyclin E overexpression resulted in the attenuation of CD44 stimulation, which is consistent with previous observations that Cyclin E can abrogate BRG-1 action. Taken together, these results suggest that BRG-1 is a critical regulator of CD44 expression, thus implicating SWI/SNF components in the regulation of cellular adhesion and metastasis.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Altered response of a human squamous cell carcinoma cell line to 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) after transfer of a normal chromosome 11.

Previous work in our laboratory using functional assays for tumorigenicity identified a tumor suppressor element on human chromosome 11q for the cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cell line A388.6TG.c2. In this report, we screened a variety of agents for differential effects on A388.6TG.c2 compared to a growth-suppressed chromosome 11 microcell hybrid of A388.6TG.c2. One of the agents, 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3); calcitriol), exerted a growth-altering effect on A388.6TG.c2, which formed rounded cell clusters across the surface of the raft by Day 6 of treatment. In contrast, full-length chromosome 11 hybrids of A388.6TG.c2, as well as two other squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (FaDu and A431), when treated with 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), failed to demonstrate this cell-clumping phenotype. To pursue the hypothesis that the growth suppressor element is involved in altering the response to 1, 25(OH)(2)D(3), we tested microcell hybrids carrying t(X;11) chromosomes lacking large portions of 11q. Although these hybrids, like the parent A388.6TG.c2 cells, demonstrated extensive growth in organotypic cultures, they failed to form cell clusters with 1, 25(OH)(2)D(3) treatment. These results suggest that the chromosome 11 element that alters the response to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) is distinct from the growth-suppressing element. An examination of differentiation marker expression revealed identical patterns of basal and suprabasal markers for A388.6TG.c2 and for a chromosome 11 hybrid with or without treatment with 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). Finally, characterization of candidate tumor suppressor gene PPP2R1B, which encodes for a subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), showed seemingly insignificant alterations by cDNA sequence analysis. Collectively, the data suggest that human chromosome 11 contains two different tumor suppressor elements that may account for the two areas of loss of heterozygosity observed on the long arm of this chromosome.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

BRG-1 is required for RB-mediated cell cycle arrest.

The antiproliferative action of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein, RB, is disrupted in the majority of human cancers. Disruption of RB activity occurs through several disparate mechanisms, including viral oncoprotein binding, deregulated RB phosphorylation, and mutation of the RB gene. Here we report disruption of RB-signaling in tumor cells through loss of a critical cooperating factor. We have previously reported that C33A cells fail to undergo cell cycle inhibition in the presence of constitutively active RB (PSM-RB). To determine how C33A cells evade RB-mediated arrest, cell fusion experiments were performed with RB-sensitive cells. The resulting fusions were arrested by PSM-RB, indicating that C33A cells lack a factor required for RB-mediated cell cycle inhibition. C33A cells are deficient in BRG-1, a SWI/SNF family member known to stimulate RB activity. Consistent with BRG-1 deficiency underlying resistance to RB-mediated arrest, we identified two other BRG-1-deficient cell lines (SW13 and PANC-1) and demonstrate that these tumor lines are also resistant to cell cycle inhibition by PSM-RB and p16ink4a, which activates endogenous RB. In cell lines lacking BRG-1, we noted a profound defect in RB-mediated repression of the cyclin A promoter. This deficiency in RB-mediated transcriptional repression and cell cycle inhibition was rescued through ectopic coexpression of BRG-1. We also demonstrate that 3T3-derived cells, which inducibly express a dominant-negative BRG-1, arrest by PSM-RB and p16ink4a in the absence of dominant-negative BRG-1 expression; however, cell cycle arrest was abrogated on induction of dominant-negative BRG-1. These findings demonstrate that BRG-1 loss renders cells resistant to RB-mediated cell cycle progression, and that disruption of RB signaling through loss of cooperating factors occurs in cancer cells.

Cell Cycle↗

PubMed2000

A human melanoma metastasis-suppressor locus maps to 6q16.3-q23.

Loss, deletion or rearrangement along large portions of the long arm (q-arm) of chromosome 6 occurs in >80% of late-stage human melanomas, suggesting that genes controlling malignant characteristics are encoded there. Metastasis, but not tumorigenicity, was completely suppressed in the human melanoma cell line C8161 into which an additional intact chromosome 6 had been introduced by microcell-mediated chromosome transfer. Our objective was to refine the location of a putative metastasis suppressor gene. To do this, we transferred an intact (neo6) and a deletion variant [neo6qdel; neo6(del)(q16.3-q23)] of neomycin-tagged human chromosome 6 into metastatic C8161 subclone 9 (C8161.9) by MMCT. Single cell hybrid clones were selected in G-418 and isolated. Following verification that the hybrids retained the expected regions of chromosome 6 using a panel of polymorphic sequence-tagged sites, the hybrids were tested for tumorigenicity and metastasis in athymic mice. As reported previously, intact, normal chromosome 6 suppressed metastasis whether tumor cells were injected i.v. or into an orthotopic (i.e., intradermal) site. In contrast, metastasis was not suppressed in the neo6qdel hybrids. Tumorigenicity was unaffected in hybrids prepared with either chromosome 6 donor. These data strongly suggest that a human melanoma metastasis suppressor locus maps between 6q16.3-q23 ( approximately 40 cM).

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Alteration of hSNF5/INI1/BAF47 detected in rhabdoid cell lines and primary rhabdomyosarcomas but not Wilms' tumors.

The organization of genomic DNA into chromatin aids in the regulation of gene expression by limiting the access of transcriptional binding domains. The SWI/SNF family of chromatin-remodeling complexes, which are conserved from yeast to humans, open the chromatin to facilitate the transcriptional machinery to access their targets. The gene encoding the BAF47/hSNF5 subunit of the complex has been found mutated in both rhabdoid cell lines and in primary rhabdoid tumors. Since the pediatric tumors rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and Wilms' tumor (WT) share a similar genetic link with rhabdoid tumors, it was hypothesized that they may also show alterations of the BAF47 gene. Using primary tumors, the BAF47 protein was detected in all WT but less than 75% of the RMS tested. In cell lines, the BAF47 protein was missing in all rhabdoid cell lines and one RMS cell line. Analysis of sample DNA displayed either a mutation or deletion of the BAF47 gene in all samples negative for the protein. Several other subunits of the human SWI/SNF complex, including BRG1 which is the subunit directly interacting with the Rb tumor suppressor gene, were detected in all tumor samples. Alteration of BAF47 may be a genetic marker associated with the poor prognosis seen in all rhabdoid tumors but only some RMS.

Actins↗

PubMed1999

WT1 modulates apoptosis by transcriptionally upregulating the bcl-2 proto-oncogene.

The Wilms' tumor suppressor gene, WT1, encodes a zinc finger transcription factor that has been demonstrated to negatively regulate several growth factor and cognate receptor genes. However, inconsistent with its tumor suppressor function, WT1 has also been demonstrated to be required to inhibit programmed cell death in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, anaplastic Wilms' tumors, which typically express wild-type WT1, display extreme resistance to chemotherapeutic agents that kill tumor cells through the induction of apoptosis. Although p53 mutations in anaplastic Wilms' tumors have been associated with chemoresistance, this event is believed to occur late during tumor progression. Therefore, since dysregulated WT1 expression occurs relatively early in Wilms' tumors, we hypothesized that WT1 was required to transcriptionally upregulate genes that provide a cell survival advantage to tumor cells. Here we demonstrate that sporadic Wilms' tumors coexpress WT1 and the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Using rhabdoid cell lines overexpressing WT1, we show that WT1 activates the endogenous bcl-2 gene through a transcriptional mechanism. Transient transfections and electromobility shift assays demonstrate that WT1 positively stimulates the bcl-2 promoter through a direct interaction. Moreover, WT1 expressing cells displaying upregulated Bcl-2 were found to be resistant to apoptosis induced by staurosporine, vincristine and doxorubicine. These data suggest that in certain cellular contexts, WT1 exhibits oncogenic potential through the transcriptional upregulation of anti-apoptotic genes such as bcl-2.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Interference of proteins involved in the cytoplasmic sequestration of p53 with human papillomavirus E6-mediated degradation.

The oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are able to efficiently target p53 for degradation by the ubiquitin pathway. We previously demonstrated inefficient HPV E6-mediated degradation and resulting high steady-state levels of p53 in cell hybrids between a peripheral neuroepithelioma cell line and a cervical carcinoma cell line (HeLa). We now show that the p53 protein in these cell hybrids was cytoplasmically sequestered and exhibited sporadic punctate staining, which is characteristic of the p53 expression pattern observed in neuroblastic neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines, in which p53 is also sequestered. We hypothesized that the cytoplasmic sequestration of p53 in the cell hybrids might correlate with its inability to be rapidly degraded by HPV E6. Using NB cell lines as a model system to test this hypothesis, we demonstrated that the introduction of HPV E6 into two NB cell lines resulted in p53 insensitivity to HPV E6-mediated degradation. This was assessed by both pulse-chase analysis of p53 in metabolically labeled NB cells and western blotting. The enhanced stability of p53 was not due to a lack of HPV E6 expression or to a mutant conformation of the p53 protein. Our results therefore suggest that proteins involved in the cytoplasmic sequestration of p53 may also interfere with the ability of HPV E6 to target p53 for degradation.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed1999

Induction of rat WT1 gene expression correlates with human chromosome 11p11.2-p12-mediated suppression of tumorigenicity in rat liver epithelial tumor cell lines.

We have previously identified and mapped a locus within human chromosome 11p11.2-p12 that suppresses the tumorigenic potential of some rat liver tumor cell lines. In the present study, possible molecular mechanisms of human 11p11.2-p12-mediated liver tumor suppression were investigated by examining gene expression patterns in suppressed and non-suppressed microcell hybrid (MCH) cell lines. The parental rat liver tumor cell lines (GN6TF and GP7TB) express moderate levels of p53 mRNA and protein, overexpress mRNAs for c-H-ras, c-myc, and TGFá, and do not express detectable levels of WT1 mRNA or protein. Suppression of tumorigenicity by human chromosome 11p11.2-p12 was not accompanied by significant alterations in the levels of expression of p53, c-myc, or TGFá. Expression of c-H-ras was decreased significantly in both suppressed and non-suppressed MCH cell lines, suggesting that down-regulation of c-H-ras is not directly responsible for tumor suppression. In contrast, the level of expression of WT1 correlated precisely with tumor suppression in this model system. All suppressed MCH cell lines expressed WT1 mRNA and protein at levels comparable to that of untransformed rat liver epithelial cells (WB-F344), whereas only trace WT1 mRNA and protein were detected in a non-suppressed MCH cell line. PCR analysis demonstrated that two suppressed MCH cell lines do not carry the human WT1 gene, indicating that WT1 expression in these lines originates from the rat locus. Furthermore, RT-PCR analysis showed that each of the four known splice variants of the WT1 mRNA are expressed in these suppressed MCH cell lines, recapitulating the expression pattern observed in the untransformed rat liver epithelial cells. Re-expression of tumorigenicity by suppressed MCH cell lines was accompanied by the coordinate loss of human chromosome 11p11.2-p12 and of WT1 gene expression, suggesting that one or more human 11p11.2-p12 genes are required for sustained expression of WT1 in these cell lines. Together, these results suggest that the molecular mechanism governing human chromosome 11p11.2-p12-mediated liver tumor suppression may involve induction of rat WT1 gene expression under the direct or indirect transcriptional regulation of a genetic locus (or loci) on human 11p11.2-p12.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Analysis of oncogene, tumor suppressor gene, and chromosomal alterations in HeLa x osteosarcoma somatic cell hybrids.

Using a series of tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic somatic cell hybrids that resulted from the fusion of the human osteosarcoma cell line OHS50-P16T (P16T) with the HeLa cell line D98OR, we investigated the role that genetic mutations, including alterations of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and chromosomes, play in P16T tumorigenicity. Analysis of a previously identified oncogene mutation, c-myc amplification, in the P16T cell line demonstrated that both the tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic hybrids contained the amplified c-myc gene. Analysis of previously identified P16T tumor suppressor gene alterations, p53 mutation, and loss of RB1 expression demonstrated that the mutated p53 gene was selectively maintained in both the non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic hybrids, whereas loss of RB1 expression was not maintained in either the non-tumorigenic or tumorigenic hybrids. Chromosomes 11, 13, 17, and 22 were analyzed for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) to characterize the status of these previously described chromosomal alterations in the tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic hybrids. Loss of HeLa D98OR chromosome 22, with maintenance of P16T chromosome 22, was observed in the tumorigenic hybrids, a result confirmed by LOH analysis, which demonstrated the specific loss of HeLa chromosome 22 genetic material in the tumorigenic segregants. Together, these results demonstrated that amplified c-myc, mutant p53, and RB1 genes seem to be important in osteosarcoma tumorigenicity and that an additional altered gene or genes on chromosome 22 may play a key role in osteosarcoma tumorigenicity.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗

PubMed1998

Chromosome localization and genomic structure of the KiSS-1 metastasis suppressor gene (KISS1).

The identification and sequence of KiSS-1 (HGMW-approved symbol, KISS1), a human malignant melanoma metastasis-suppressor gene, was recently published. In this report, we present a corrected genomic sequence, genomic structure, and refined chromosomal location for KiSS-1. The genomic organization of the sequence reveals a gene consisting of four exons. The first two exons are not translated; the third exon contains 38 5' noncoding bases followed by the translational start site and another 100 translated bases. The terminal exon contains a further 332 translated bases, the translational stop codon, and the polyadenylation signal. The gene maps to chromosome 1q32 as determined by radiation hybrid mapping and FISH analysis. The relatively simple organization of this gene will facilitate analyses for mutations and abnormal expression in human tumors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Divergently transcribed overlapping genes expressed in liver and kidney and located in the 11p15.5 imprinted domain.

Human chromosomal band 11p15.5 has been shown to contain genes involved in the development of several pediatric and adult tumors and in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS). Overlapping P1 artificial chromosome clones from this region have been used as templates for genomic sequencing in an effort to identify candidate genes for these disorders. PowerBLAST identified several matches with expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from fetal brain and liver cDNA libraries. Northern blot analysis indicated that two of the genes identified by these ESTs encode transcripts of 1-1.5 kb with predominant expression in fetal and adult liver and kidney. With RT-PCR and RACE, full-length transcripts were isolated for these two genes, with the largest open reading frames encoding putative proteins of 253 and 424 amino acids. Database comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of the larger transcript indicated homology to integral membrane organic cation transporters; hence, we designate this gene ORCTL2 (organic cation transporter-like 2). An expressed sequence polymorphism provided evidence that the ORCTL2 gene exhibits "leaky" imprinting in both human fetal kidney and human fetal liver. The mouse orthologue (Orctl2) was identified, and a similar polymorphism was used to demonstrate maternal-specific expression of this gene in fetal liver from interspecific F1 mice. The predicted protein of the smaller gene showed no significant similarity in the database. Northern and RACE analyses suggest that this gene may have multiple transcription start sites. Determination of the genomic structure in humans indicated that the 5'-end of this transcript overlaps in divergent orientation with the first two exons of ORCTL2, suggesting a possible role for antisense regulation of one gene by the other. We, therefore, provisionally name this second transcript ORCTL2S (ORCTL2-antisense). The expression patterns of these genes and the imprinted expression of ORCTL2 are suggestive of a possible role in the development of Wilms tumor (WT) and hepatoblastoma. Although SSCP analysis of 62 WT samples and 10 BWS patients did not result in the identification of any mutations in ORCTL2 or ORCTL2S, it will be important to examine their expression pattern in tumors and BWS patients, since epigenetic alteration at these loci may play a role in the etiology of these diseases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Correlation between reduction of metastasis in the MDA-MB-435 model system and increased expression of the Kai-1 protein.

Using microcell-mediated transfer of a normal chromosome 11 into the highly metastatic MDA-MB-435 human breast carcinoma cell line, we previously showed that human chromosome 11 contains a metastasis-suppressor gene for breast cancer. A known metastasis-suppressor gene, kai-1, and a related family member, tapa-1, have been mapped to chromosome 11p11.2 and 11p15.5, respectively. To determine if these genes are responsible for the metastasis suppression seen in our microcell hybrids, we examined their expression by western blot analysis. Although tapa-1 expression did not significantly correlate with metastasis suppression, kai-1 production was dramatically increased in the metastasis-suppressed chromosome 11 microcell hybrids and unchanged in the metastatic chromosome 6 controls. Transfection of full-length kai-1 cDNA into MDA-MB-435 cells resulted in clones that did not have a significantly decreased in vivo incidence of lung metastases. However, western blot analysis showed that the primary tumors and the metastatic lesions of the transfectants had decreased levels of kai-1 protein compared with the inoculated cells. Furthermore, several of the transfectant clones expressed heavily modified kai-1 protein compared with that of the microcell hybrids. Our data indicate that protein modification may affect the normal function of kai-1 in vivo and that a threshold level of kai-1 protein expression may be necessary for suppression of the metastatic phenotype.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Differential subcellular p53 localization and function in N- and S-type neuroblastoma cell lines.

Neuroblastoma (NB) cells in vitro are capable of bidirectional transdifferentiation, resulting in two distinct, yet reversible, phenotypes of neuroblastic (N-type) and nonneuronal (S-type) Schwann-like cells. Our previous studies suggested that the wild-type p53 protein is subject to differential regulation in a subset of neuronal cell types. To further test this hypothesis, we compared p53 function in three matched pairs of N- and S-type cell lines, each pair originating from an individual NB tumor. Our data show that although p53 remains cytoplasmically sequestered in a punctate pattern in N-type cells after DNA damage, the protein is diffusely distributed in the S-type cells and is additionally capable of translocating to the nucleus and mediating a biological response to this damage. Our data, therefore, suggest that the p53 protein may be differentially regulated by a neuronal cellular environment and that the sequestration of p53 in NB may be reversible.

Cell Line↗

PubMed1997

Novel transcribed sequences within the BWS/WT2 region in 11p15.5: tissue-specific expression correlates with cancer type.

Chromosome band 11p15.5 has proven to be an intriguing area of the human genome. Various studies have linked alterations in this region to growth-related disorders such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and a variety of human cancers. Furthermore, functional assays in G401 Wilms tumor cells and RD rhabdomyosarcoma cells support the existence of a tumor suppressor gene on 11p15.5, sometimes called WT2. In addition, several genes mapping to this region show imprinted expression, suggesting that 11p15.5 contains an imprinted domain. We have employed solution hybrid capture in combination with sequence analysis to identify 16 genes within the approximately 700-kb critical region of 11p15.5 between D11S601 and D11S1318. Two of these genes, NAP1L4 and KCNA9, had been previously reported. Ten novel transcripts were identified with partial cDNA sequences selected by solution hybrid capture. Sequence homology to known ESTs was used to identify the remaining gene transcripts. Interestingly, the tissue-specific mRNA expression of these genes correlates with the tumor types linked to this region. This work can be compiled into a transcript map, important in the elucidation of tumor suppressor activity on chromosome 11p15.5.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1997

KAI1, a putative marker for metastatic potential in human breast cancer.

The KAI1 gene maps to chromosome 11p11.2, is a metastasis-suppressor gene for human prostate cancer and also is involved in the progression of human pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer. Recently, we showed that introduction of a single copy of normal, neomycin-tagged human chromosome 11 into highly metastatic MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells suppressed breast cancer metastasis. Concomitantly, KAI1 levels were higher in chromosome 11/MDA-MB-435 cell clones. The purpose of this study was to test whether KAI1 expression is indicative of breast cancer metastasis using a panel of immortalized breast epithelial and breast cancer cell lines that represent multiple stages of breast cancer progression. Metastatic cell clones isolated from the parental mixed, wild-type population of MDA-MB-435 cells expressed the lowest levels of KAI1 mRNA and chromosome 11 containing MDA-MB-435 (neo11/MDA-MB-435.A3 and neo11/MDA-MB-435.B1) cells had approximately twice as much KAI1 mRNA than the parental clones. MCF-10A, an immortalized normal-like non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cell line, had the highest level of KAI1 mRNA. We compared the metastatic propensity and invasive ability of a continuum of breast cancer cells with varying degrees of progression toward malignancy and found that these parameters tended to correlate inversely with KAI1 mRNA expression. These data suggest that, in addition to its role in human prostate, pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer, KAI1 may also be a useful marker for staging human breast disease.

Antigens, CD↗