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Biomedical subjects

Mitsuo Oshimura

Publications and source records attributed to Mitsuo Oshimura.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Evidence for inactivation of distinct telomerase repressor genes in different types of human cancers.

Telomerase activation, a critical event in human carcinogenesis, may result from defects in telomerase-repressing mechanisms. Data from microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT) suggests the presence of telomerase repressor genes that become inactivated during carcinogenic processes. The transfer of a normal human chromosome 3 represses telomerase activity of both human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and breast carcinoma (BC) cells. For a genetic complementation analysis of telomerase repression, 2 RCC cell lines (KC12 and RCC23) and a BC cell line (21NT) were used to make somatic cell hybrids. All of the self-hybrids (KC12 x KC12 and 21NT x 21NT) and hybrids from 2 RCC cell lines (KC12 x RCC23) expressed the telomerase activity similarly to their parental cells, excluding the possibility of a ploidy-associated change in telomerase activity and suggesting the same genetic defect shared by the 2 RCC cell lines. In contrast, the fusion of BC and RCC cells (21NT x KC12 and 21NT x RCC23) produced a significant number of telomerase-negative hybrids, suggesting that the RCC and BC cells have different defects in the telomerase repression, which are functionally corrected through genetic complementation in the hybrids. This notion was supported by the mapping of the RCC telomerase repressor gene to a 5.7-Mb region on 3p21, which is different from the candidate region for the BC telomerase repressor gene on the same chromosomal band. These findings provide direct evidence for inactivation of distinct telomerase repressor genes in different types of human cancers and may have implications in the tissue-specific regulation of telomerase during human development and carcinogenesis.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗
PubMed2005

ZAC, LIT1 (KCNQ1OT1) and p57KIP2 (CDKN1C) are in an imprinted gene network that may play a role in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Loss of genomic imprinting is involved in a number of developmental abnormalities and cancers. ZAC is an imprinted gene expressed from the paternal allele of chromosome 6q24 within a region known to harbor a tumor suppressor gene for several types of neoplasia. p57(KIP2) (CDKN1C) is a maternally expressed gene located on chromosome 11p15.5 which encodes a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that may also act as a tumor suppressor gene. Mutations in ZAC and p57KIP2 have been implicated in transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDB) and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, respectively. Patients with these diseases share many characteristics. Here we show that mouse Zac1 and p57Kip2 have a strikingly similar expression pattern. ZAC, a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein, binds within the CpG island of LIT1 (KCNQ1OT1), a paternally expressed, anti-sense RNA thought to negatively regulate p57(KIP2) in cis. ZAC induces LIT1 transcription in a methylation-dependent manner. Our data suggest that ZAC may regulate p57(KIP2) through LIT1, forming part of a novel signaling pathway regulating cell growth. Mutations in ZAC may, therefore, contribute to Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Furthermore, we find changes in DNA methylation at the LIT1 putative imprinting control region in two patients with TNDB.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Construction of a novel expression system on a human artificial chromosome.

Efficient regulation of transgene would greatly facilitate the analysis of gene function in biological systems for basic research and clinical applications. The tetracycline-regulatable system (TRS) has proven to be a promising tool for such purposes. Despite their widespread application, a number of challenges are still associated with the use of TRS, including clonal variability in the regulation and copy number. We have recently constructed a novel human artificial chromosome (HAC) called 21DeltaqHAC. By housing a TRS-based DNA-PKcs expression cassette in this HAC, we were able to circumvent the problems associated with conventional TRS-based vectors. We achieved tight control of DNA-PKcs expression and rescued the radiosensitive phenotype of DNA-PKcs-deficient CHO cells. The combined use of HAC and the TRS serves as a model for controllable and fixed copy number expression vectors. Our study also demonstrates the suitability of the HAC to accommodate multi-subunit constructs such as that of the TRS.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Narrowed abrogation of the Angelman syndrome critical interval on human chromosome 15 does not interfere with epigenotype maintenance in somatic cells.

Human chromosome 15q11-q13 involves a striking imprinted gene cluster of more than 2 Mb that is concomitant with multiple neurological disorders manifested by Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS). PWS and AS patients with imprinting mutation have microdeletions, which share a 4.3 kb short region of overlap (SRO) at the 5' end of the paternal SNURF-SNRPN gene in PWS, or on the maternal allele, which shares a 880 bp SRO located at the 35 kb upstream of the SNURF-SNRPN promoter in AS. Recent studies have revealed an essential role of PWS-SRO in the postzygotic maintenance of the appropriate epigenotype on the paternal chromosome. For AS-SRO, however, there is insufficient experimental evidence exists to determine the direct functions. Here we show that the complete deletion of AS-SRO does not cause any anomalies of imprinted gene expression or DNA methylation on the mutated human chromosome 15, further supporting the idea that AS-SRO is dispensable for post implantation imprint maintenance. This implies that AS-SRO is not essential for the robust epigenotype preservation in somatic cells.

Angelman Syndrome↗
PubMed2005

Tumor suppressive role of a 2.4 Mb 9q33-q34 critical region and DEC1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The key genes involved in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain to be elucidated. Previous studies indicate extensive genomic alterations occur on chromosome 9 in ESCC. Using a monochromosome transfer approach, this study provides functional evidence and narrows down the critical region (CR) responsible for chromosome 9 tumor suppressing activity to a 2.4 Mb region mapping to 9q33-q34 between markers D9S1798 and D9S61. Interestingly, a high prevalence of allelic loss in this CR is also observed in primary ESCC tumors by microsatellite typing. Allelic loss is found in 30/34 (88%) tumors and the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) frequency ranges from 67 to 86%. Absent to low expression of a 9q32 candidate tumor suppressor gene (TSG), DEC1 (deleted in esophageal cancer 1), is detected in four Asian ESCC cell lines. Stably expressing DEC1 transfectants provide functional evidence for inhibition of tumor growth in nude mice and DEC1 expression is decreased in tumor segregants arising after long-term selection in vivo. There is 74% LOH in the DEC1 region of ESCC primary tumors. This study provides the first functional evidence for the presence of critical tumor suppressive regions on 9q33-q34. DEC1 is a candidate TSG that may be involved in ESCC development.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Proteomic identification of differentially-expressed genes in human gastric carcinomas.

Although genetic alterations in proto-oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, cell cycle regulators, and cell growth factors have been implicated in the process of human gastric carcinogenesis, the principle carcinogenic mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we used a proteomic approach to search for genes that may be involved in gastric carcinogenesis and that might serve as diagnostic markers. We identified nine proteins with increased expression and 13 proteins with decreased expression in gastric carcinomas. The two most notable groups included proteins involved in mitotic checkpoint (MAD1L1 and EB1) and mitochondrial functions (CLPP, COX5A, and ECH1). This suggested that there are links between dysfunctions in these processes and gastric carcinogenesis. We also observed the differential expression of HSP27 and CYR61 proteins in gastric carcinoma, whose expression is known to be altered in other types of tumors. Furthermore, the study identified proteins whose function in gastric carcinomas was previously unsuspected and that may serve as new molecular markers for gastric carcinomas. Importantly, immunohistochemical analyses confirmed that the levels of expression of MAD1L1, HSP27, and CYR61 were altered in gastric carcinoma tissues. Therefore, our study suggested not only that the proteins identified in this study can be useful diagnostic markers but also that a proteomics-based approach is useful for developing a more complete picture of the pathogenesis and function of gastric carcinomas.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2004

Generation of pluripotent stem cells from neonatal mouse testis.

Although germline cells can form multipotential embryonic stem (ES)/embryonic germ (EG) cells, these cells can be derived only from embryonic tissues, and such multipotent cells have not been available from neonatal gonads. Here we report the successful establishment of ES-like cells from neonatal mouse testis. These ES-like cells were phenotypically similar to ES/EG cells except in their genomic imprinting pattern. They differentiated into various types of somatic cells in vitro under conditions used to induce the differentiation of ES cells and produced teratomas after inoculation into mice. Furthermore, these ES-like cells formed germline chimeras when injected into blastocysts. Thus, the capacity to form multipotent cells persists in neonatal testis. The ability to derive multipotential stem cells from the neonatal testis has important implications for germ cell biology and opens the possibility of using these cells for biotechnology and medicine.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Girl with monosomy 1p36 and Angelman syndrome due to unbalanced der(1) transmission of a maternal translocation t(1;15)(p36.3;q13.1).

We report on a girl with monosomy 1p36.3 and Angelman syndrome due to an unbalanced transmission of a maternal balanced chromosomal translocation. She manifested monosomy 1p36 and Angelman syndrome including generalized hypopigmentation, ataxic movements, intractable seizures with characteristic electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormality compatible with Angelman syndrome, and other minor anomalies, large anterior fontanelle, severe psychomotor retardation, and seizures due to monosomy 1p36. Her karyotype was 45, XX, der(1) t(1;15)(p36.31;q13.1),-15, derived from maternal translocation. Molecular analysis determined a breakpoint of 1p between D1S243 and D1S468, which suggested that most genes contributing to the common phenotype are in the distal region.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2004

Complete absence of Cockayne syndrome group B gene product gives rise to UV-sensitive syndrome but not Cockayne syndrome.

UV-sensitive syndrome (UVsS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by photosensitivity and mild freckling but without neurological abnormalities or skin tumors. UVsS cells show UV hypersensitivity and defective transcription-coupled DNA repair of UV damage. It was suggested that UVsS does not belong to any complementation groups of known photosensitive disorders such as xeroderma pigmentosum and Cockayne syndrome (CS). To identify the gene responsible for UVsS, we performed a microcell-mediated chromosome transfer based on the functional complementation of UV hypersensitivity. We found that one of the UVsS cell lines, UVs1KO, acquired UV resistance when human chromosome 10 was transferred. Because the gene responsible for CS group B (CSB), which involves neurological abnormalities and photosensitivity as well as a defect in transcription-coupled DNA repair of UV damage, is located on chromosome 10, we sequenced the CSB gene from UVs1KO and detected a homozygous null mutation. Our results indicate that previous complementation analysis of UVs1KO was erroneous. This finding was surprising because a null mutation of the CSB gene would be expected to result in CS features such as severe developmental and neurological abnormalities. On the other hand, no mutation in the CSB cDNA and a normal amount of CSB protein was detected in Kps3, a UVsS cell line obtained from an unrelated patient, indicating genetic heterogeneity in UVsS. Possible explanations for the discrepancy in the genotype-phenotype relationship in UVs1KO are presented.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Functional assessment of ABCG2 (BCRP) gene polymorphisms to protein expression in human placenta.

The aim of the present study was to assess the contribution of polymorphisms in the breast cancer resistance protein/ATP-binding cassette transporter G2 (BCRP/ABCG2) gene to the placental expression from a new perspective, allelic imbalance. Polymorphisms were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis followed by sequencing with DNA extracted from 100 placentas. To examine whether polymorphisms of the BCRP gene correlate with the placental BCRP expression, we determined mRNA and protein levels by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. In placentas, G34A (Val(12)Met) and C421A (Gln(141)Lys) were frequently observed (18-36%), but C376T, which creates a stop codon (Gln(126) stop codon), was found with an allelic frequency of 1%. The mean of the BCRP protein level was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in homozygotes for the A421 allele than in those for the C421 allele, and heterozygotes had an intermediate value. To evaluate whether the C421A polymorphism acts as a cis-element in BCRP transcription, allelic imbalance was determined using informative lymphoblasts and 56 samples of placental cDNA. In most of the placental samples we tested, the difference in expression levels between the two alleles was small, and only two samples indicated a monoallelic expression (i.e., preferential expression of one allele). These results suggest that 1) the predominant allelic expression pattern of BCRP in placental samples is biallelic, and 2) the mutation C421A is not a genetic variant acting in cis, but is considered to influence the translation efficiency.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Mem↗
PubMed2004

Allelic expression imbalance of the human CYP3A4 gene and individual phenotypic status.

The human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) plays a dominant role in the metabolism of numerous clinically useful drugs. Alterations in the activity or expression of this enzyme may account for a major part of the variation in drug responsiveness and toxicity. However, it is generally accepted that most of the known single nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding and 5'-flanking regions are not the main determinants for the large inter-individual variability of CYP3A4 expression and activity. We show that the allelic variation is critically involved in determining the individual total hepatic CYP3A4 mRNA level and metabolic capability. There exists a definite correlation between the total CYP3A4 mRNA level and allelic expression ratio, the relative transcript level ratio derived from the two alleles. Individuals with a low expression ratio, exhibiting a large difference of transcript level between the two alleles, revealed extremely low levels of total hepatic CYP3A4 mRNA, and thus low metabolic capability as assessed by testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation. These results present a new insight into the individualized CYP3A4-dependent pharmacotherapy and the importance of expression imbalance to human phenotypic diversity.

Alleles↗
PubMed2004

Microdeletion of LIT1 in familial Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS), which causes prenatal overgrowth, midline abdominal wall defects, macroglossia, and embryonal tumors, is a model for understanding the relationship between genomic imprinting, human development, and cancer. The causes are heterogeneous, involving multiple genes on 11p15 and including infrequent mutation of p57(KIP2) or loss of imprinting of either of two imprinted gene domains on 11p15: LIT1, which is near p57(KIP2), or H19/IGF2. Unlike Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes, no chromosomal deletions have yet been identified. Here we report a microdeletion including the entire LIT1 gene, providing genetic confirmation of the importance of this gene region in BWS. When inherited maternally, the deletion causes BWS with silencing of p57(KIP2), indicating deletion of an element important for the regulation of p57(KIP2) expression. When inherited paternally, there is no phenotype, suggesting that the LIT1 RNA itself is not necessary for normal development in humans.

Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome↗
PubMed2004

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation regulates CTCF-dependent chromatin insulation.

Chromatin insulators demarcate expression domains by blocking the cis effects of enhancers or silencers in a position-dependent manner. We show that the chromatin insulator protein CTCF carries a post-translational modification: poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that a poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation mark, which exclusively segregates with the maternal allele of the insulator domain in the H19 imprinting control region, requires the bases that are essential for interaction with CTCF. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-on-chip analysis documented that the link between CTCF and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation extended to more than 140 mouse CTCF target sites. An insulator trap assay showed that the insulator function of most of these CTCF target sites is sensitive to 3-aminobenzamide, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity. We suggest that poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation imparts chromatin insulator properties to CTCF at both imprinted and nonimprinted loci, which has implications for the regulation of expression domains and their demise in pathological lesions.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Construction of a novel human artificial chromosome vector for gene delivery.

Potential problems of conventional transgenes include insertional disruption of the host genome and unpredictable, irreproducible expression of the transgene by random integration. Alternatively, human artificial chromosomes (HACs) can circumvent some of the problems. Although several HACs were generated and their mitotic stability was assessed, a practical way for introducing exogenous genes by the HACs has yet to be explored. In this study, we developed a novel HAC from sequence-ready human chromosome 21 by telomere-directed chromosome truncation and added a loxP sequence for site-specific insertion of circular DNA by the Cre/loxP system. This 21HAC vector, delivered to a human cell line HT1080 by microcell fusion, bound centromere proteins A, B, and C and was mitotically stable during long-term culture without selection. The EGFP gene inserted in the HAC vector expressed persistently. These results suggest that the HAC vector provides useful system for functional studies of genes in isogenic cell lines.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Dicer is essential for formation of the heterochromatin structure in vertebrate cells.

RNA interference is an evolutionarily conserved gene-silencing pathway in which the nuclease Dicer cleaves double-stranded RNA into small interfering RNAs. The biological function of the RNAi-related pathway in vertebrate cells is not fully understood. Here, we report the generation of a conditional loss-of-function Dicer mutant in a chicken-human hybrid DT40 cell line that contains human chromosome 21. We show that loss of Dicer results in cell death with the accumulation of abnormal mitotic cells that show premature sister chromatid separation. Aberrant accumulation of transcripts from alpha-satellite sequences, which consist of human centromeric repeat DNAs, was detected in Dicer-deficient cells. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed abnormalities in the localization of two heterochromatin proteins, Rad21 cohesin protein and BubR1 checkpoint protein, but the localization of core kinetochore proteins such as centromere protein (CENP)-A and -C was normal. We conclude that Dicer-related RNA interference machinery is involved in the formation of the heterochromatin structure in higher vertebrate cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Silencing of imprinted CDKN1C gene expression is associated with loss of CpG and histone H3 lysine 9 methylation at DMR-LIT1 in esophageal cancer.

The putative tumor suppressor CDKN1C is an imprinted gene at 11p15.5, a well-known imprinted region often deleted in tumors. The absence of somatic mutations and the frequent diminished expression in tumors would suggest that CDKN1C expression is regulated epigenetically. It has been, however, controversial whether the diminution is caused by imprinting disruption of the CDKN1C/LIT1 domain or by promoter hypermethylation of CDKN1C itself. To clarify this, we investigated the CpG methylation index of the CDKN1C promoter and the differentially methylated region of the LIT1 CpG island (differentially methylated region (DMR)-LIT1), an imprinting control region of the domain, and CDKN1C expression in esophageal cancer cell lines. CDKN1C expression was diminished in 10 of 17 lines and statistically correlated with the loss of methylation at DMR-LIT1 in all but three. However, there was no statistical correlation between CDKN1C promoter MI and CDKN1C expression. Furthermore, loss of CpG methylation was associated with loss of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation at DMR-LIT1. Histone modifications at CDKN1C promoter were not correlated with CDKN1C expression. The data suggested that the diminished CDKN1C expression is associated with the loss of methylation of CpG and H3K9 at DMR-LIT1, not by its own promoter CpG methylation, and is involved in esophageal cancer, implying that DMR-LIT1 epigenetically regulates CDKN1C expression not through histone modifications at CDKN1C promoter, but through that of DMR-LIT1.

Cell Line, Tumor↗
PubMed2004

Human chromosome 21q22.2-qter carries a gene(s) responsible for downregulation of mlc2a and PEBP in Down syndrome model mice.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a major clinical manifestation of Down syndrome (DS). We recently showed that chimeric mice containing a human chromosome 21 (Chr 21) exhibited phenotypic traits of DS, including CHD. Our previous study showed that myosin light chain-2a (mlc2a) expression was reduced in the hearts of chimeric mice and DS patients. We found that phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein (PEBP) was also downregulated in Chr 21 chimeras in this study. As mlc2a is involved in heart morphogenesis, and PEBP controls the proliferation and differentiation of different cell types, these genes are candidates for involvement in DS-CHD. The DS-CHD candidate region has been suggested to span between PFKL and D21S3, which is the STS marker near the ETS2 loci. To identify gene(s) or a gene cluster on Chr 21 responsible for the downregulation of mlc2a and PEBP, we fragmented Chr 21 at the EST2 loci, by telomere-directed chromosome truncation in homologous recombination-proficient chicken DT40 cells. The modified Chr 21 was transferred to mouse ES cells by microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT), via CHO cells. We used ES cell lines retaining the Chr 21 truncated at the ETS2 locus (Chr 21E) to produce chimeric mice and compared overall protein expression patterns in hearts of the chimeras containing the intact and the fragmented Chr 21 by two-dimensional electrophoresis. While mouse mlc2a and PEBP expression was downregulated in the chimeras containing the intact Chr 21, the expression was not affected in the Chr 21E chimeras. Therefore, we suggest that Chr 21 gene(s) distal from the ETS2 locus reduce mouse mlc2a and PEBP expression in DS model mice and DS. Thus, this chromosome engineering technology is a useful tool for identification or mapping of genes that contribute to the DS phenotypes.

Androgen-Binding Protein↗