Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K R Cho

Publications and source records attributed to K R Cho.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

DCC: linking tumor suppressor genes and altered cell surface interactions in cancer?

The gene deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) is a candidate tumor suppressor gene encoding a neural cell adhesion molecule like transmembrane protein. Over the past year, data supporting DCC inactivation in multiple tumor types have continued to accumulate. Functional studies suggest that DCC may participate in signaling pathways that regulate cell proliferation and/or differentiation, two cellular processes that often go awry during tumorigenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Frequency of homozygous deletion at p16/CDKN2 in primary human tumours.

Many tumour types have been reported to have deletion of 9p21 (refs 1-6). A candidate target suppressor gene, p16 (p16INK4a/MTS-1/CDKN2), was recently identified within the commonly deleted region in tumour cell lines. An increasing and sometimes conflicting body of data has accumulated regarding the frequency of homozygous deletion and the importance of p16 in primary tumours. We tested 545 primary tumours by microsatellite analysis with existing and newly cloned markers around the p16 locus. We have now found that small homozygous deletions represent the predominant mechanism of inactivation at 9p21 in bladder tumours and are present in other tumour types, including breast and prostate cancer. Moreover, fine mapping of these deletions implicates a 170 kb minimal region that includes p16 and excludes p15.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1994

p53-dependent G1 arrest involves pRB-related proteins and is disrupted by the human papillomavirus 16 E7 oncoprotein.

The cell cycle regulatory tumor suppressor proteins p53 and pRB are targeted for inactivation by several tumor viruses, including the high-risk types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) via interactions of the HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins with p53 and pRB, respectively. p53 plays a central role in a signal transduction pathway that mediates G1 arrest after DNA damage, though the mechanism by which G1 arrest occurs has not been elucidated. The cyclin-associated protein p21waf1/cip1 has recently been shown to be induced by p53 and to inhibit cyclin complex-mediated phosphorylation of pRB in vitro. Thus, we investigated a possible role for pRB in the p53-mediated DNA damage response. After gamma-irradiation, cells expressing wild-type p53 arrested in G1, contained increased levels of WAF1/CIP1 mRNA, and demonstrated accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRB. In contrast, cell lines with abnormal p53 genes or with p53 functionally inactivated by the E6 oncoprotein of HPV16 (a high-risk HPV) failed to arrest in G1, did not elevate WAF1/CIP1 mRNA, and did not accumulate hypophosphorylated pRB. Despite apparently normal elevation of p53 protein and WAF1/CIP1 mRNA after irradiation, cells expressing HPV16 E7 also failed to arrest in G1 and did not accumulate hypophosphorylated pRB. Disruption of RB genes alone did not totally abrogate this G1 arrest. Our results suggest that p53 indirectly regulates phosphorylation of pRB and that pRB and/or other pRB-like molecules that bind to HPV16 E7 participate in the DNA damage-mediated G1 arrest signal. In the process of HPV infection, the HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins may undermine this cell cycle checkpoint, contributing to the accumulation of genetic alterations during tumorigenesis.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1994

The DCC gene product in cellular differentiation and colorectal tumorigenesis.

The analysis of human colorectal tumors has revealed frequent loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the long arm of chromosome 18. A novel gene, DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer), located within the region of LOH on chromosome 18q was identified and has been implicated as a tumor suppressor gene. We have now shown that DCC encodes a membrane-bound protein of the immunoglobulin-CAM family, as demonstrated by cell-surface labeling, immunohistochemical analysis, and sequencing of cDNA clones. The DCC protein was found in axons of the central and peripheral nervous system and in differentiated cell types of the intestine. Colorectal tumors that lost their capacity to differentiate into mucus producing cells uniformly lacked DCC expression and loss of a chromosome 18q allele was often accompanied by loss of DCC expression in colon tumors. These results provide evidence that DCC encodes a cell surface-localized protein and emphasize the inverse relationship between differentiation and tumorigenesis.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed1994

Expression of a homologue of the deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene in the nervous system of developing Xenopus embryos.

The deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene has been identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene on the basis of frequent allelic loss and decreased or absent gene expression in several human cancer types, as well as somatic mutations in the gene in colorectal tumors. We have identified a Xenopus DCC homologue (XDCC alpha) predicted to encode a protein of 1427 amino acids and have characterized XDCC expression in developing embryos and adult tissues. The predicted amino acid sequences of XDCC alpha and human DCC are greater than 80% identical; each has four immunoglobulin-like domains, six fibronectin type III domains, and a cytoplasmic domain of about 325 amino acids. While RNase protection assays and immunoblotting studies failed to detect XDCC alpha expression in embryos prior to developmental stage 15, XDCC alpha expression was present in embryos from stages 19 to 46. Whole mount in situ hybridization studies localized XDCC alpha expression to developing forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain regions. DCC expression was inhibited by treatments that altered the development of mature neural structures; specifically, uv-ventralized embryos and exogastrulae had reduced DCC expression. These results indicate that XDCC alpha is developmentally regulated and expressed as a consequence of neural induction. Moreover, unlike some well-characterized tumor suppressor genes, such as the p53 and retinoblastoma genes, that are not differentially expressed in developing Xenopus embryos, the DCC gene may have a specific role in the morphogenesis of the brain and perhaps other tissues and organs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

The DCC gene: structural analysis and mutations in colorectal carcinomas.

DCC is a candidate tumor-suppressor gene encoding a protein with sequence similarity to cell adhesion molecules such as N-CAM. A set of overlapping YAC clones that contains the entire DCC coding region was isolated. Studies of this YAC contig showed that the DCC gene spans approximately 1.4 Mb. For elucidation of exon-intron structure, lambda phage clones containing all known coding sequences were isolated from a genomic library. These clones were used to demonstrate the existence of 29 DCC exons, and the sequences of the exon-intron boundaries were determined for each. Twenty-three polymorphic markers from chromosome 18 were then studied in a panel of primary colorectal tumors that had lost some, but not all, of chromosome 18. In most of these tumors, the region that was lost included DCC. Finally, Southern blot and PCR-based approaches were used to search for subtle mutations in several DCC exons. One tumor that had a point mutation in exon 28 was found, resulting in a proline to histidine substitution. A second tumor with a point mutation in intron 13 was also found. The regional map and genomic structure of DCC should provide the means to more extensively study DCC gene alterations and protein function in normal and neoplastic cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

NIH3T3 cells expressing the deleted in colorectal cancer tumor suppressor gene product stimulate neurite outgrowth in rat PC12 pheochromocytoma cells.

The Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) gene is a candidate tumor suppressor gene that is predicted to encode a transmembrane polypeptide with strong similarity to the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) family. Previous studies have suggested that several different N-CAMs, when expressed in non-neuronal cell types can stimulate neurite outgrowth from PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. Based on the predicted structural similarity of DCC to N-CAMs, we sought to determine whether NIH3T3 cells expressing DCC could stimulate neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. We found that NIH3T3 cell lines expressing DCC could stimulate PC12 cells to extend neurites. Supernatants from DCC-transfected NIH3T3 cells did not induce neurite outgrowth above background levels, suggesting that cell-cell interaction was required. NIH3T3 cells expressing a truncated form of DCC, lacking the majority of the cytoplasmic domain sequences, also failed to induce neurite outgrowth above the levels seen with control NIH3T3 cells, suggesting that the cytoplasmic domain of DCC was necessary for its neurite-promoting function. In contrast to NGF-mediated neurite outgrowth, the DCC-mediated response was inhibited by treatment with pertussis toxin or the combination of N- and L-type calcium channel blockers, and was unaffected by the transcriptional inhibitor cordycepin. The data suggest that the DCC protein can function in a fashion analogous to other N-CAMs to alter PC12 cell phenotype through intracellular pathways distinct from those involved in NGF signaling.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1994

Microsatellite instability in endometrial carcinoma.

Microsatellite instability (MI), detected as electrophoretic shifts in allele sizes of microsatellite DNA sequences, has been identified in some colorectal carcinomas. Investigators have previously attributed such microsatellite instability to replication errors (RER). The colorectal carcinomas with RER have been found to arise either sporadically or in association with the hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome. Because endometrial carcinoma is also commonly associated with HNPCC, we studied 30 cases of endometrial carcinoma to characterize the presence of MI in these neoplasms. Seven cases (23%) showed MI. Four cases showed both Type I (large shifts) and Type II (small shifts) mutation patterns and the remaining three cases showed Type I mutations only. We conclude that MI frequently occurs in endometrial cancers and that this type of genetic alteration may be an important pathogenetic feature of this tumor type.

Alleles↗
PubMed1993

Human papillomavirus 16 E6 expression disrupts the p53-mediated cellular response to DNA damage.

Infection with certain types of human papillomaviruses (HPV) is highly associated with carcinomas of the human uterine cervix. However, HPV infection alone does not appear to be sufficient for the process of malignant transformation, suggesting the requirement of additional cellular events. After DNA damage, normal mammalian cells exhibit G1 cell-cycle arrest and inhibition of replicative DNA synthesis. This mechanism, which requires wild-type p53, presumably allows cells to undertake DNA repair and avoid the fixation of mutations. We directly tested whether the normal response of cervical epithelial cells to DNA damage may be undermined by interactions between the E6 protein expressed by oncogenic HPV types and wild-type p53. We treated primary keratinocytes with the DNA-damaging agent actinomycin D and demonstrated inhibition of replicative DNA synthesis and a significant increase in p53 protein levels. In contrast, inhibition of DNA synthesis and increases in p53 protein did not occur after actinomycin D treatment of keratinocytes immortalized with HPV16 E6/E7 or in cervical carcinoma cell lines containing HPV16, HPV18, or mutant p53 alone. To test the effects of E6 alone on the cellular response to DNA damage, HPV16 E6 was expressed in the carcinoma cell line RKO, resulting in undetectable baseline levels of p53 protein and loss of the G1 arrest that normally occurs in these cells after DNA damage. These findings demonstrate that oncogenic E6 can disrupt an important cellular response to DNA damage mediated by p53 and may contribute to the subsequent accumulation of genetic changes associated with cervical tumorigenesis.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1993

Cell adhesion molecules as tumour suppressors.

Cell adhesion molecules, a diverse group of proteins expressed on the cell surface, have been implicated in numerous important cellular functions ranging from controlling morphogenesis to suppressing tumourigenesis. In this article, we discuss evidence supporting the idea that at least some proteins involved in cell adhesion may suppress tumourigenesis through influences on cell growth, differentiation and/or invasion. These studies suggest that some cell adhesion molecules may be encoded by tumour suppressor genes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

p53 gene mutations and MDM2 amplification are uncommon in primary carcinomas of the uterine cervix.

The p53 gene is the most frequently altered gene known thus far in a wide variety of human cancers. Inactivation of p53, either through mutation or through interaction with the human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 oncoprotein, is a characteristic feature of all cervical carcinoma cell lines that have been studied. These findings suggest that p53 inactivation is required for cervical carcinoma development and that HPV infection and p53 mutation may be mutually exclusive. We have studied the p53 gene in 35 primary cervical carcinomas. DNA sequence and single strand conformational polymorphism analyses were used to evaluate p53 in 27 squamous carcinomas (25 HPV-positive) and eight adenocarcinomas (four HPV-positive). A missense mutation of p53 was observed in one HPV 16-positive squamous carcinoma, demonstrating that p53 mutations can occur in combination with HPV infection. The HPV-negative tumors all lacked p53 gene mutations. The absence of p53 mutations in HPV-negative cases prompted an assessment of tumors for MDM2 gene amplification. The MDM2 gene encodes a p53 binding protein and has been found to be amplified in some human tumors lacking p53 mutations. MDM2 amplification was not identified in any of the tumors we examined, including four HPV-negative cases. Our findings show that HPV infection and p53 gene mutation are not mutually exclusive and suggest that many HPV-negative carcinomas may arise via a pathway independent of p53 inactivation.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Genetic alterations in the adenoma--carcinoma sequence.

Tumorigenesis is thought to be a multistep process in which genetic alterations accumulate, ultimately producing the neoplastic phenotype. A model was proposed to explain the genetic basis of colorectal neoplasia that included several salient features. First, colorectal tumors appear to occur as a result of the mutational activation of oncogenes coupled with the inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes. Second, mutations in at least four or five genes are required to produce a malignant tumor. Third, although the genetic alterations often occur in a preferred sequence, the total accumulation of changes, rather than their chronologic order of appearance, is responsible for determining the tumor's biologic properties. Several different genetic alterations were identified that occur during colorectal tumorigenesis. Activational mutation of the ras oncogene was found in approximately 50% of colonic carcinomas and in a similar percentage of intermediate-stage and late-stage adenomas. Allelic deletions were discovered of specific portions of chromosomes 5, 17, and 18, which presumably harbor tumor-suppressor genes. The target of allelic loss events on chromosome 17 has been shown to be the p53 gene, which is mutated, not only in colonic cancer, but also in a large percentage of other human solid tumors. The gene dcc recently was identified; this candidate tumor-suppressor gene on chromosome 18 appears to be altered in colorectal carcinomas. The protein encoded by the dcc gene has significant sequence similarity to neural cell adhesion molecules and other related cell-surface glycoproteins. By mediating cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions, this class of molecules may have important functions in mediating cell growth and differentiation. Alterations of the dcc gene may interfere with maintenance of these controls and thus may play a role in the pathogenesis of colorectal neoplasia. Another candidate tumor-suppressor gene also was identified on chromosome 5, mcc (for mutated in colorectal cancers). The mcc genetic alterations include one tumor with somatic rearrangement of one mcc allele and several tumors with somatically acquired point mutations in the coding region. Studies currently are ongoing to (1) identify additional tumor-suppressor gene candidates, (2) increase our understanding of normal tumor-suppressor gene function, and (3) demonstrate the functional tumor-suppressor ability of these genes both in vivo and in vitro.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1992

Suppressor gene alterations in the colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence.

Tumorigenesis is thought to be a multistep process in which genetic alterations accumulate to bring about the neoplastic phenotype. Colorectal tumors appear to arise as a result of the mutational activation of oncogenes coupled with the inactivation of several tumor suppressor genes. We have found frequent allelic deletions of specific portions of chromosomes 5, 17, and 18 which presumably harbor suppressor genes. The target of allelic loss events on chromosome 17 has been shown to be the p53 gene, which is frequently mutated not only in colon cancer but in several other tumor types as well. Candidate suppressor genes have also recently been identified on chromosomes 18 and 5. The DCC gene on chromosome 18q encodes a protein with significant sequence similarity to neural cell adhesion molecules and other related cell surface glycoproteins. Alterations of this gene may interfere with normal cell growth and differentiation by disrupting cell-cell or cell-substrate interactions. Two genes (MCC and APC) on chromosome 5q have also recently been identified and partially cloned. These genes are located in a region tightly linked to familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). While MCC mutations have been found only in sporadic colon tumors, APC mutations have been identified in sporadic tumors as well as the germline of patients with FAP. Studies are currently in progress to increase our understanding of how alterations of these genes affect colorectal tumor cell growth.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1992

Antisense RNA to the putative tumor-suppressor gene DCC transforms Rat-1 fibroblasts.

Allelic deletions involving chromosomes 18q occur in a significant number of colorectal cancers. Recently, a highly conserved gene called 'deleted in colorectal cancer' (DCC) has been identified on chromosome 18q. DCC has been postulated to be a colorectal tumor-suppressor gene. In order to understand the role of DCC in cell transformation, we have established a stable Rat-1 cell line expressing dexamethasone-inducible DCC antisense RNA. High levels of dexamethasone-inducible DCC antisense RNA were detected in the Rat-1 transfectants. The antisense DCC-expressing Rat-1 cells showed a faster growth rate, anchorage independence and tumorigenicity in nude mice. Exposure of the parental Rat-1 cells to antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides to DCC resulted in inhibition of cell adhesion to the substratum which could be abrogated by various extracellular matrices. On the other hand, a bone marrow-derived stromal cell line which does not express DCC showed no detachment from the substratum when treated with the antisense oligo to DCC. These results suggest that the DCC gene is involved in cell adhesion and provide the first direct biological evidence for the possible role of DCC as a tumor-suppressor gene.

Animals↗