DNA methylation-dependent silencing of CST6 in human breast cancer cell lines

Cystatin M (CST6) is a candidate breast cancer tumor suppressor that is expressed in normal and premalignant breast epithelium, but not in metastatic breast cancer cell lines. CST6 is subject to epigenetic silencing in MCF-7 breast cancer cells related to methylation of the CpG island that encompasses the CST6 proximal promoter region and exon 1. In the current study, CST6 CpG island methylation and expression status was examined in a panel of breast cancer cell lines. Seven of 12 (58%) cell lines lack detectable expression of CST6 and treatment of these cells with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine resulted in a significant increase in CST6 expression, suggesting that the loss of expression may be related to methylation-dependent epigenetic silencing. Bisulfite sequencing of CST6 in a subset of breast cancer cell lines revealed CpG island hypermethylation in CST6-negative cells, and an absence of CpG island methylation in cells that express CST6. The extent of regional methylation was strongly associated with the lack of expression of CST6 among these cell lines. In particular, hypermethylation of the proximal promoter was significantly associated with CST6 gene silencing, and methylation of a number of individual CpGs was found to be statistically correlated with extinction of gene expression. These results establish a strong link between CST6 promoter hypermethylation and loss of CST6 expression in breast cancer cell lines, and suggest that methylation-dependent epigenetic silencing of CST6 may represent an important mechanism for loss of CST6 during breast carcinogenesis in vivo.     

食管鳞癌分泌素-3A1基因启动子甲基化异常

[目的]研究具有抗癌活性的细胞因子分泌素-3A1基因启动子超甲基化所至该基因表达抑制在我国食管鳞癌发生中的作用。[方法] 用RT-PCR 方法检测分泌素-3A1基因在12个食管鳞癌细胞系的表达,并用甲基化特异PCR技术（methylation specific PCR, MSP）检测上述细胞系及37例来自我国河南的原发性食管鳞癌标本分泌素-3A1基因启动子甲基化状态,通过5-aza-dc处理使培养细胞去甲基化,RT-PCR技术检测处理后该基因在Kyse30的重新表达。[结果] 该基因仅在Kyse410、Kyes520和TE8等3个细胞系有表达,5-aza-dc处理可使Kyse30重新表达分泌素-3A1。此外,在18/37（48%）例原发性食管鳞癌细胞有分泌素-3A1基因启动子区域的超甲基化。[结论] 启动子超甲基化造成分泌素-3A1基因在上述食管鳞癌细胞系表达抑制,原发性食管鳞癌细胞分泌素-3A1基因启动子超甲基化提示该基因表达抑制可能与食管鳞癌发生有关。     

Decreased expression and aberrant methylation of Gadd45G is associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene (Gadd45) family, which is composed of Gadd45A, Gadd45B, and Gadd45G, is involved in DNA damage response and cell growth arrest. The present study was to detect the role of Gadd45 gene family in esophageal cancer and the relationship of Gadd45G methylation to a series of pathological parameters in a large esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) sample, in order to elucidate more information on the role of Gadd45 gene family with regard to the pathogenesis of ESCC. Frequent silencing of Gadd45G but not Gadd45A and Gadd45B were found in esophageal cancer cell lines and the silencing of Gadd45G may be reversed by 5-Aza-dC or TSA treatment in Eca109 cell line. The aberrant proximal promoter methylation of Gadd45G induces silencing of Gadd45G expression in Eca109 cell line. Gadd45A mRNA and protein expression in ESCC tumor tissues was significantly different compared to corresponding normal tissues. Decreased mRNA and protein expression of Gadd45G was observed in ESCC tumor tissues and was associated with Gadd45G proximal promoter methylation. Gadd45A or Gadd45B expression was not correlated with ESCC patients survival, while Gadd45G methylation status and protein expression were independently associated with ESCC patients’ survival. These data indicated that Gadd45G may be a functional tumor suppressor and its inactivation through proximal promoter methylation may play an important role in ESCC carcinogenesis and reactivation of Gadd45G gene may has therapeutic potential and may be used as a prognostic marker for ESCC patients.     

Hypermethylation-modulated down-regulation of CDH1 expression contributes to the progression of esophageal cancer

CDH1, a cell adhesion molecule, which plays a key role in maintaining the epithelial phenotype, is regarded as an invasion-suppressor gene in light of accumulating evidence from in vitro experiments and clinical observations. In an attempt to clarify the mechanism responsible for inactivation of this gene in carcinomas, we investigated the methylation status of the CDH1 gene 5'-CpG islands and its regulatory mechanism in the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Real-time methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP) and treatment with the demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) were conducted to analyze the methylation status at the CDH1 promoter region in the human esophageal carcinoma cell lines, EC1 and EC9706. A total of 235 invasive esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) at stages I-IV and their corresponding normal tissue samples, were included in an immunohistochemistry study and methylation analysis of CDH1. The results demonstrate that in EC1 and EC9706 cells, the CDH1 promoter is methylated and treatment with 5-Aza-CdR restored CDH1 expression. Enhanced CDH1 expression decreased cell migration, invasion ability and increased adhesion ability. Decreased CDH1 expression was detected in 59.6% of ESCC tissues, compared with their adjacent non-neoplastic epithelia, which had a close correlation with the primary tumor status, lymph node status, distant metatasis and clinicopathologic stage. Hypermethylation at the CDH1 promoter was detected in 97.9% of 140 cases of ESCC with low CDH1 expression. The methylation of CDH1 promoters (P=0.929) was closely correlated with the lack of expression of their corresponding proteins. The Cox regression model for survival analysis showed that increases in CDH1 methylation had a greater impact on the prognosis than tumor clinical stage. These findings suggest that CDH1 gene silencing by promoter hypermethylation and the resultant reduction of CDH1 expression may play an important role in the progression of ESCC. CDH1 methylation was a significant predictor of survival in ESCC patients after surgery.     

髓母细胞瘤与幕上原始神经外胚叶肿瘤中RASSF1A基因的甲基化差异

目的通过研究髓母细胞瘤与幕上原始神经外胚叶肿瘤（SPNET）中RASSF1A基因的甲基化改变,探讨颅内原始神经外胚叶肿瘤（PNET）的不同亚型中该基因的表遗传学差异及其意义。方法收集25例原发髓母细胞瘤,9例原发SPNET,3株髓母细胞瘤细胞系和2株SPNET细胞系。采用甲基化特异性聚合酶链反应（MSP）检测RASSF1A基因启动子区的甲基化状态。应用去甲基化试剂5-aza-2’deoxycytidine处理存在基因表达缺失的细胞系,探讨基因表达与甲基化之间的关系。结果100％（25／25）的原发髓母细胞瘤、6／9的原发SPNET及全部PNET细胞系中均检测到RASSFIA基因的甲基化。相反,该基因甲基化在全部正常组织（包括2例小脑,5例大脑）中均未检测到。并且,RASSF1A在SPNET中的甲基化率明显低于髓母细胞瘤（Fisher精确检验,P=0．014）。在经去甲基化试剂处理的PNET细胞中,该基因表达得以恢复,证明甲基化与该基因沉默相关。结论RASSF1A甲基化是肿瘤特异性的,RASSF1A甲基化与PNET的发生有一定关联,不同亚型的PNET之间RASSF1A基因的不同甲基化状态提示髓母细胞瘤和SPNET是表遗传学上存在差异的两类肿瘤。     

Methylation profiling of CpG islands in human breast cancer cells

CpG island hypermethylation is known to be associated with gene silencing in cancer. This epigenetic event is generally accepted as a stochastic process in tumor cells resulting from aberrant DNA methyltransferase (DNA-MTase) activities. Specific patterns of CpG island methylation could result from clonal selection of cells having growth advantages due to silencing of associated tumor suppressor genes. Alternatively, methylation patterns may be determined by other, as yet unidentified factors. To explore further the underlying mechanisms, we developed a novel array-based method, called differential methylation hybridization (DMH), which allows a genome- wide screening of hypermethylated CpG islands in tumor cells. DMH was used to determine the methylation status of >276 CpG island loci in a group of breast cancer cell lines. Between 5 and 14% of these loci were hypermethylated extensively in these cells relative to a normal control. Pattern analysis of 30 positive loci by Southern hybridization indicated that CpG islands might differ in their susceptibility to hypermethylation. Loci exhibiting pre-existing methylation in normal controls were more susceptible to de novo methylation in these cancer cells than loci without this condition. In addition, these cell lines exhibited different intrinsic abilities to methylate CpG islands not directly associated with methyltransferase activities. Our study provides evidence that, aside from random DNA-MTase action, additional cellular factors exist that govern aberrant methylation in breast cancer cells.      

RASSF1A, BLU, NORE1A, PTEN and MGMT expression and promoter methylation in gliomas and glioma cell lines and evidence of deregulated expression of de novo DNMTs

Methylation of CpG islands in gene promoters can lead to gene silencing. Together with deletion or mutation, it may cause a loss of function of tumor suppressor genes. RASSF1A (3p21.3), NORE1A (1q32.1) and BLU (3p21.3) have been shown to be downregulated by methylation in cancer, and PTEN (10q23.3) and MGMT (10q26.1) are located in areas commonly deleted in astrocytomas. MGMT methylation predicts a better response and a longer overall survival in patients with glioblastomas treated with temozolomide. We analyzed 53 astrocytoma samples and 10 high-grade glioma cell lines. Gene expression was assessed by RT-PCR. Bisulfite sequencing, MSP and a melting curve analysis-based real-time PCR were performed to detect promoter methylation. Treatments with 5'-aza-2'-deoxicitidine were applied to restore gene expression in cell lines. Ninety-two percent of tumor samples were methylated for RASSF1A , 30%–57% for BLU and 47% for MGMT , suggesting promoter methylation of these genes to be a common event in glioma tumorigenesis. Only 4% of the tumors revealed a methylated promoter for NORE1A . No association between methylation and loss of expression could be established for PTEN . We identified de novo DNMTs overexpression in a subset of tumors which may explain the methylation phenotype of individual gliomas.     

Hypermethylation of RASSF1A in human and rhesus placentas

The pseudomalignant nature of the placenta prompted us to search for tumor suppressor gene hypermethylation, a phenomenon widely reported in cancer, in the human placenta. Nine tumor suppressor genes were studied. Hypermethylation of the Ras association domain family 1 A (RASSF1A) gene was found in human placentas from all three trimesters of pregnancy but was absent in other fetal tissues. Hypermethylation of Rassf1 was similarly observed in placentas from the rhesus monkey but not the mouse. An inverse relationship between RASSF1A promoter methylation and gene expression was demonstrated by bisulfite sequencing of microdissected placental cells and immunohistochemical staining of placental tissue sections using an anti-RASSF1A antibody. Treatment of choriocarcinoma cell lines, JAR and JEG3, by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A led to reduction in RASSF1A methylation but increased expression. These observations extend the analogy between the primate placenta and malignant tumors to the epigenetic level.