Hypermethylation of the human telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) gene correlates with telomerase activity

DNA methylation is an epigenetic process involved in embryonic development, differentiation and aging. It is 1 of the mechanisms resulting in gene silencing in carcinogenesis, especially in tumor suppressor genes (e.g., p16, Rb). Telomerase, the DNA polymerase adding TTAGGG repeats to the chromosome end, is involved in the regulation of the replicative life span by maintaining telomere length. This enzyme is activated in germ and stem cells, repressed in normal somatic cells and reactivated in a large majority of tumor cells. The promoter region of the hTERT gene, encoding for the catalytic subunit of human telomerase, has been located in a CpG island and may therefore be regulated at least in part by DNA methylation. We analyzed the methylation status of 27 CpG sites within the hTERT promoter core region by methylation-sensitive single-strand conformation analysis (MS-SSCA) and direct sequencing using bisulfite-modified DNA in 56 human tumor cell lines, as well as tumor and normal tissues from different organs. A positive correlation was observed among hypermethylation of the hTERT promoter, hTERT mRNA expression and telomerase activity (p < 0.00001). Furthermore, this correlation was confirmed in normal tissues where hypermethylation of the hTERT promoter was found exclusively in hTERT-expressing telomerase-positive samples and was absent in telomerase-negative samples (p < 0.00002). Since tumor tissues contain also nonneoplastic stromal elements, we performed microdissection to allow confirmation that the hTERT promoter methylation truly occurred in tumor cells. Our results suggest that methylation may be involved in the regulation of hTERT gene expression. To our knowledge, this is the first gene in which methylation of its promoter sequence has been found to be positively correlated with gene expression.     

hTERT methylation is necessary but not sufficient for telomerase activity in colorectal cells

Colorectal cancers exhibit a high telomerase activity, usually correlated with the hypermethylation of the promoter of its hTERT catalytic subunit. Although telomerase is not expressed in normal tissue, certain proliferative somatic cells such as intestinal crypt cells have demonstrated telomerase activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether a correlation exists between telomerase activity, levels of hTERT methylation and telomere length in tumoral and normal colorectal tissues. Tumor, transitional and normal tissues were obtained from 11 patients with a colorectal cancer. After bisulfite modification of genomic DNA, hTERT promoter methylation was analyzed by methylation-sensitive single-strand conformation analysis (MS-SSCA). Telomerase activity and telomere length were measured by a fluorescent-telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay and by Southern blotting, respectively. A significant increase of hTERT methylation and telomerase activity, and a reduction of the mean telomere length were observed in the tumor tissues compared to the transitional and normal mucosa. In the transitional and normal mucosa, telomerase activity was significantly lower than that in tumor tissues, even with high levels of hTERT methylation. Nevertheless, hTERT promoter methylation was not linearly correlated to telomerase activity. These data indicate that hTERT promoter methylation is a necessary event for hTERT expression, as is telomerase activity. However, methylation is not sufficient for hTERT activation, particularly in normal colorectal cells.     

Methylation of the human telomerase gene CpG island

The acquisition of expression of hTERT, the catalytic subunit of the telomerase enzyme, seems to be an essential step in the development of a majority of human tumors. However, little is known about the mechanisms preventing telomerase gene expression in normal and transformed cells that do not express hTERT. Using a methylation-specific PCR-based assay, we have found that the CpG island associated with the hTERT gene is unmethylated in telomerase-negative primary tissues and nonimmortalized cultured cells, indicating that mechanisms independent of DNA methylation are sufficient to prevent hTERT expression. The hTERT CpG island is methylated in many telomerase-negative and telomerase-positive cultured cells and tumors, but the extent of methylation did not correlate with expression of hTERT. Demethylation of DNA with 5-azacytidine in two cell lines induced expression of hTERT, suggesting that DNA methylation can contribute to hTERT repression in some cells. Together, these data show that the hTERT CpG island can undergo cytosine methylation in cultured cells and tumors and that DNA methylation may contribute to the regulation of the hTERT gene, but that CpG island methylation is not responsible for repressing hTERT expression in most telomerase-negative cells.     

多西紫杉醇对人胃癌细胞BGC-823 hTERT启动子转录活性及其调控基因c-myc表达的研究

目的:探讨多西紫杉醇对人胃癌细胞BGC-823端粒酶活性和端粒酶逆转录酶(hTERT)mRNA表达、hTERT启动子转录活性及其转录调控基因c-myc蛋白表达的影响。方法:加药多西紫杉醇24、48和72h后收集细胞,MTT比色法测定IC50值;分别采用PCR-ELISA法检测端粒酶活性和RT-PCR法检测端粒酶逆转录酶hTERT mRNA的表达;Luciferase法检测hTERT启动子活性;Western blot技术检测c-myc蛋白的表达。结果:多西紫杉醇可以明显抑制胃癌细胞BGC-823的端粒酶活性和hTERT mRNA的表达,呈一定的时效、量效关系;进一步研究发现,多西紫杉醇对胃癌细胞端粒酶活性的影响抑制了hTERT启动子转录活性的表达,同时对启动子转录活性调控蛋白c-myc表达的研究也证实了这一点。结论:hTERT mRNA的表达与胃癌的发生和演进有关,癌基因c-myc可能通过参与hTERT启动子转录活性的表达调控而调控hTERT mRNA表达。多西紫杉醇抑制胃癌细胞BGC-823的增殖可能与其抑制BGC-823细胞hTERT启动子转录活性和c-myc蛋白表达相关。