Azure Stains ; chemistry ; DNA, Neoplasm ; analysis ; chemistry ; Humans ; Rosaniline Dyes ; chemistry ; Staining and Labeling ; economics ; methods ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between SNC19 protein and cancer metastasis.

METHODSExpression of SNC19 protein in cancer cell lines and tissues was examined by Western blot analysis using anti-SNC19 monoclonal antibody. In addition, Psectag2A-SNC19(ORF) eukaryotic expression vector was constructed and transfected into BCAP37 cells. After the target protein was expressed and purified, processing forms of SNC19 protein were further identified using anti-His mAb and each form was assayed for its gelatinase activity.

RESULTSDifferent expression and post-translational processing of the SNC19 proteins in the cancer cell lines and intestinal tissues were detected.BCAP37 cells transfected full-length SNC19 (ORF) generated two different sized proteins in cell lysates, 120 and 75 kD; 75 kD was detected to have proteolytic activity by gelatin zymography.

CONCLUSIONSNC19 protein presents different expression and post-translational processing in the cancer cells and tissues, of which 75 kD was identified to have gelatinase activity.

Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colonic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; Female ; Gelatinases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein Processing, Post-Translational ; Serine Endopeptidases ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

Mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene has been related in the pathogenesis of numerous human and canine cancers, including breast cancers and mammary tumors. We have investigated exons 5-8 of the p53 gene for mutations in 20 spontaneous canine mammary tumors using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with direct sequence analysis to evaluate the role of this gene in canine mammary tumorigenesis and analyzed to compare with other clinicopathological parameters including age, histology, stage, recurrence and death from tumor. Four missense (one case had two missense mutations) and one nonsense mutations were detected in 10 malignant lesions (40%), and two missense and one silent mutations were found in 10 benign mammary tumors (30%). Five of the missense mutations were located in highly conserved domains II, III, IV and V. After a follow-up period, four dogs showed a progression and three of these patients revealed death from mammary carcinoma with p53 mutation. These results demonstrated that the p53 gene mutations might be involved in the development of canine mammary tumors and contribute to the prognostic status in canine mammary carcinomas.
Animals ; Codon, Nonsense/genetics ; DNA, Neoplasm/chemistry/genetics ; Dog Diseases/*genetics ; Dogs ; Female ; Genes, p53/*genetics ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal/*genetics ; Mutation, Missense/genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Survival Analysis ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics

Transitional-CpG methylation between unmethylated promoters and nearby methylated retroelements plays a role in the establishment of tissue-specific transcription. This study examined whether chromosomal losses reducing the active genes in cancers can change transitional-CpG methylation and the transcription activity in a cancer-type-dependent manner. The transitional-CpG sites at the CpG-island margins of nine genes and the non-island-CpG sites round the transcription start sites of six genes lacking CpG islands were examined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The number of active genes in normal and cancerous tissues of the stomach, colon, breast, and nasopharynx were analyzed using the public data in silico. The CpG-island margins and non-island CpG sites tended to be hypermethylated and hypomethylated in all cancer types, respectively. The CpG-island margins were hypermethylated and a low number of genes were active in the normal stomach compared with other normal tissues. In gastric cancers, the CpG-island margins and non-island-CpG sites were hypomethylated in association with high-level chromosomal losses, and the number of active genes increased. Colon, breast, and nasopharyngeal cancers showed no significant association between the chromosomal losses and methylation changes. These findings suggest that chromosomal losses in gastric cancers are associated with the hypomethylation of the gene-control regions and the increased number of active genes.
Alu Elements/genetics ; *Chromosome Deletion ; CpG Islands/*genetics ; *DNA Methylation ; DNA, Neoplasm/chemistry/isolation & purification ; Gene Expression Profiling ; *Genes, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements/genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; *Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Stomach Neoplasms/*genetics

OBJECTIVETo clone the full length of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) related novel gene GYLZ-RCC18 and study its function.

METHODSSMART RACE technology was used to clone the full length of GYLZ-RCC18. RT-PCR was used to detect its expression in renal cell carcinoma tissue at different stages and grades. We transfected the antisense oligonucleotide of GYLZ-RCC18 to renal cell carcinoma cell line, GRC-1, and analyzed proliferation activity, growth rate, apoptosis, and mortality changes.

RESULTSThe full length of GYLZ-RCC18 (GenBank accession number: BE825133) cDNA was about 3.5 kb. GYLZ-RCC18 had a higher expression in higher grades and stages of renal cell carcinoma than in lower ones. The expression of GYLZ-RCC18 in renal cell carcinoma was much higher than in normal kidney. After the transfection of GYLZ-RCC18 antisense oligonucleotide, the mortality of GRC-1 increased significantly, while proliferative activity and growth rate were substantially inhibited at the same time. The antisense oligonucleotide induced apoptosis of GRC-1 through the entire observation time.

CONCLUSIONGYLZ-RCC18 is an important novel gene related to renal cell carcinoma. Overexpression of this gene results in higher growth and proliferative activity and has an antiapoptosis effect on renal cell carcinoma cells. Transfection of the antisense oligonucleotide may inhibit the generation and development of renal cell carcinoma.

Apoptosis ; genetics ; physiology ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; genetics ; pathology ; Cell Division ; genetics ; physiology ; Cell Line ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Antisense ; genetics ; physiology ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genes, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; Oligonucleotides ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Transfection ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVETo study the genetic polymorphisms of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1F(UGT1F) and the relationship between polymorphisms and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThe polymorphisms of UGT1F of 84 patients with HCC and 144 healthy controls were detected by PCR-denaturation gradient gel electrophoresis-sequencing or PCR-single strain conformation polymorphsim-sequencing.

RESULTSThree new single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP) were found: the first one was a transversion of TrarrG at nucleotide 232; the second one was the transition of ArarrG at nucleotide 528 in exon 1; the last one was the transition of ArarrG at nucleotide 376 in intron 2. Additionally, the polymorphism at nucleotide 754 was proved in this study. The frequencies of genotype and allele of 4 loci in cases and controls were analyzed. Both frequencies of genotype G/G(13.10%) and allele G (29.17%) of position 754 of UGT1F in cases were sig nificantly greater than those in controls (2.78% and 19.44% ) respectively. For other loci, the difference between the two groups were not significant.

CONCLUSIONExons 2-5 of UGT1F are highly conservative, but exon 1 emerges highly polymorphic. And the polymorphism at locus 754 may be related with HCC.

Alleles ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Base Sequence ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; enzymology ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Neoplasm ; chemistry ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Glucuronosyltransferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; enzymology ; genetics ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational

OBJECTIVETo clone human gastric cancer related gene and to analyze its expression profile in gastric mucosal tissues.

METHODSPaired tumor, paratumor and non-tumor specimens from 7 gastric adenocarcinoma patients (male 4, female 3, with average age 51 +/- 18 years) were studied by means of fluorescent differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). The differentially expressed cDNA bands of interest were cloned and analyzed by Northern blot and in situ hybridization. Thirty cases (male 23 female 7 with average age 59 +/- 8 years) of paired paraffin-embedded gastric tumor and non-tumor tissues were used in in situ hybridization analysis.

RESULTSA gene expressed much lower in 6 out of 7 tested tumor samples than in their normal and paratumor counterparts was identified. It was named GCRG123. Northern blot analysis confirmed the differential expression. Human multiple tissue Northern blot analysis showed that GCRG123 expressed in various adult human tissues including thymus, prostate, testis, ovary, small intestine, colon and peripheral blood leukocyte. Sequence analysis revealed that GCRG123 (GenBank accession number AF454554) was a lamin like protein gene. It had one open reading frame which consisted of 49 amino acids (GenBank accession number AAL61668.1). In situ hybridization analysis showed a high GCRG123 expression level in normal gastric epithelium and pylori glands, but low expression level in tumor as well as dysplasia and most intestinal metaplasia at the paratumor regions.

CONCLUSIONA lamin-like protein gene was identified in human gastric mucosa, it is down-regulated in gastric cancer and its precancerous leisions.

Adult ; Aged ; Blotting, Northern ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Neoplasm ; chemistry ; genetics ; Down-Regulation ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Lamins ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics

Animals ; Annexin A2 ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; DNA Replication ; Endocytosis ; Exocytosis ; Humans ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; metabolism ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo screen and identify the genes coding for colorectal carcinoma-associated antigen and analyze the bioinformation of their cDNA sequences.

METHODSImmunoscreening of the cDNA phage-display library derived from human colorectal carcinoma was performed with autologous or allogeneic serum antibody from patients with colorectal cancer through SEREX approach. After amplification of the positive phage clones, the phage DNA was extracted and purified with Qiagen kit, and the fragment sizes of the cDNA of positive clones were identified by PCR and EcoR I and Hind III restriction endonucleases. The cDNAs of the positive clones were ligated into pUCm-T vector and sequenced. The bioinformation of cDNA sequences were analyzed against GenBank+EMBL+DDBJ+PDB Sequences Database.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONEleven positive clones were obtained after immunoscreening, and the sizes of the cDNA fragments were 1100, 1300, 1000, 2000, 1200, 1200, 700, 900, 600, 1200 and 1000 bp, respectively, representing 9 antigen genes, including 7 with homology with the known genes. Among the 11 obtained positive clones, 3 were the same cDNA having homology with interferon-induced transmembrance protein-1 and possessing anti-proliferation effect; another 6 represented different genes, namely human BAC clone RP11-453E17 whose function have not been cleared, human cartilage-hair hypoplasia region gene responsible for cartilage-hair hypoplasia, human chromosome 5 clone CTD-2030B15 with insertion mutation, human gene similar to anti tumor necrosis factor-alpha antibody light-chain Fab fragment associated with tumor growth, mRNA of human beta-2-microglobulin in relation to tumor cell proliferation, and human aldolase A gene promoting tumor cell proliferation. The other two cDNA sequences were not identified for homology with currently known genes in GenBank, and their functions awaits further investigation.

Antigens, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; immunology ; Computational Biology ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; genetics ; Databases, Genetic ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Peptide Library ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Vesicular Transport Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the mutation and amplification of RIT1 gene and their correlation with carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThe polymerase chain reactioindirect sequencing method was used for detecting the mutations in the sequence of all 6 exons in the RIT1 gene of 50 HCC tissues and paratumor tissues. And the amplification of RIT1 gene was examined by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction method.

RESULTSA nucleotide 241 G --> C substitution in exon 5 of RIT1 gene was detected in one patient's HCC tissue, but not in paratumor tissue; this 241 G --> C substitution leads to Glu81Gln amino acid alteration in the conservative domain binding GTP. A nucleotide G --> C substitution in 5'-UTR (-21 bp from initial codon) was detected in all of the 50 HCC tissues and paratumor tissues, and 2- to 297-fold amplification of RIT1 gene was detected in 11 of 43 qualified cases, the amplification frequency being 25.6%.

CONCLUSIONGene amplification is one of the main activating ways of RIT1 gene in HCC, and its amplification might be correlated with HCC carcinogenesis, while point mutation might be not.

Adult ; Aged ; Base Sequence ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Neoplasm ; chemistry ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Amplification ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Point Mutation ; ras Proteins ; genetics