survivin启动子驱动的shRNA在宫颈癌SiHa细胞中的特异性表达

研究survivin启动子驱动的小发夹RNA(shRNA)在宫颈癌SiHa细胞中的特异性表达.PCR扩增survivin启动子,构建以survivin启动子驱动增强绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)表达的真核表达载体pEGFP-C1/Surv,并检测survivin启动子的活性;构建针对EGFP的shRNA真核表达载体pGenesil-1-EGFP-shRNA/U6,并检测shRNA在U6启动子驱动下的干扰效果;用有活性的survivin启动子取代pGenesil-1-EGFP-shRNA/U6载体中的U6启动子,从而获得新的shRNA真核表达载体pGenesil-1-EGFP-shRNA/Surv;将pGenesil-1-EGFP-shRNA/Surv转染到宫颈癌SiHa细胞及正常人脐静脉内皮HuVEC细胞,观察EGFP在两种细胞中的表达变化.结果表明,成功扩增survivin启动子并验证该启动子具有活性;成功构建EGFP shRNA真核表达载体pGenesil-1-EGFP-shRNA/U6,并验证shRNA在U6启动子驱动下具有较好的干扰效果;成功构建pGenesil-1-EGFP-shRNA/Surv载体,分别转染SiHa及HuVEC细胞,在SiHa 细胞中观察到较少的绿色荧光蛋白表达,而在HuVEC细胞中观察到较多的绿色荧光蛋白表达.survivin启动子能驱动shRNA在宫颈癌SiHa细胞中特异性表达,而在正常HuVEC细胞中不表达.     

LMP gene promoter hypermethylation is a mechanism for its down regulation in Kazak’s esophageal squamous cell carcinomas

Abnormal hypermethylation of CpG islands not only associated with tumor suppressor genes can lead to repression of gene expression, but also contribute to escape of the tumor from immune surveillance and contribute significantly to tumorigenesis. In the present study, we studied the hypermethylation of low molecular-weight protein (LMP) gene and its regulation on protein expression in biopsies from resected tissues from Kazak’s esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients and their neighboring normal tissues. LMP2 and LMP7 genes promoter region methylation sequences were maped in esophageal cancer cell line Eca109 by bisulfite-sequencing PCR and quantitative detection of methylated DNA from 30 pairs of Kazak’s ESCC and adjacent normal tissues by MassARRAY (Sequenom, San Diego, CA, USA) and LMP2 and LMP7 protein expression were analyzed with immunohistochemistry. In Eca109, we identified 6 CG sites methylated from all of 22 CpG sites of LMP7 gene. However, no methylation was found for LMP2. The analysis of the data resulted from the quantitative analysis of single CpG site methylation by Sequenom MassARRAY platform, has shown that the methylation level between two groups CpG sites (CpG_5, CpG_9, CpG_20, CpG_21 and CpG_20) from CpG_1, CpG_2, CpG_3, CpG_4, CpG_5, CpG_6, CpG_7, CpG_8, CpG_9, CpG_10.11, CpG_12.13.14, CpG_15.16.17.18, CpG_19, CpG_20, CpG_21 and CpG_22 significant differences between ESCC and neighboring normal tissues. The analysis of methylation level of whole target CpG fragment indicated that the methylation level of LMP7 was significant higher in ESCC (0.0517 ± 0.0357) than in neighboring normal tissues (0.0380 ± 0.0214, P < 0.05). there was a tendency of decreasing the LMP7 proteins expression as the increasing the methylation level of LMP7 gene promoter regions (F = 7.69, P = 0.041). The LMP7 gene promoter methylation and protein downregulation were correlated at high extent in Kazakh’s ESCC patients, and may explain the epigenetic regulation on gene expression.     

Hypermethylation of metallothionein-I promoter and suppression of its induction in cell lines overexpressing the large subunit of Ku protein.

We have shown previously that the heavy metal-induced metallothionein-I (MT-I) gene expression is specifically repressed in a rat fibroblast cell line (Ku-80) overexpressing the 80-kDa subunit of Ku autoantigen but not in cell lines overexpressing the 70-kDa subunit or Ku heterodimer. Here, we explored the molecular mechanism of silencing of MT-I gene in Ku-80 cells. Genomic footprinting analysis revealed both basal and heavy metal-inducible binding at specific cis elements in the parental cell line (Rat-1). By contrast, MT-I promoter in Ku-80 cells was refractory to any transactivating factors, implying alteration of chromatin structure. Treatment of two clonal lines of Ku-80 cells with 5-azacytidine, a potent DNA demethylating agent, rendered MT-I gene inducible by heavy metals, suggesting that the gene is methylated in these cells. Bisulfite genomic sequencing revealed that all 21 CpG dinucleotides in MT-I immediate promoter were methylated in Ku-80 cells, whereas only four CpG dinucleotides were methylated in Rat-1 cells. Almost all methylated CpG dinucleotides were demethylated in Ku-80 cells after 5-azacytidine treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report that describes hypermethylation of a specific gene promoter and its resultant silencing in response to overexpression of a cellular protein.     

Hypermethylation of the inhibin alpha-subunit gene in prostate carcinoma

Inhibin is composed of an alpha- and a beta-subunit. Transgenic studies assigned a tumor-suppressive role to the inhibin alpha-subunit, and in human prostate cancer inhibin alpha-subunit gene expression was down-regulated. This study examined the inhibin alpha-subunit gene promoter and gene locus to determine whether promoter hypermethylation or LOH occurred in DNA from prostate cancer. The 5'-untranslated region of the human inhibin alpha-subunit gene was sequenced and shown to be highly homologous to the bovine, rat, and mouse inhibin alpha-subunit promoter sequences. A 135-bp region of the human promoter sequence that continued a cluster of CpG sites was analyzed for hypermethylation. Significant (P < 0.001) hypermethylation of the inhibin alpha-subunit gene promoter occurred in DNA from Gleason pattern 3, 4, and 5 carcinomas compared with nonmalignant tissue samples. A subset of the carcinomas with a cribriform pattern were unmethylated. LOH at 2q32-36, the chromosomal region harboring the inhibin alpha-subunit gene, was observed in 42% of prostate carcinomas. These data provide the first demonstration that promoter hypermethylation and LOH are associated with the inhibin alpha-subunit gene and gene locus in prostate cancer.     

EGFR基因启动子区甲基化状态分析

表皮生长因子受体(epidermal growth factor receptor,EGFR)是HER/ERB-B跨膜受体激酶家族成员之一.EGFR的过表达促进细胞的增殖、存活和迁移,与许多实体瘤病人的低存活率相关.EGFR的表达受其启动子DNA甲基化调控.EGFR的转录沉默与CpG岛高甲基化相关.EGFR基因5′调控区包括1个富含GC的启动子,缺保守序列TATA盒和CAAT盒,有多个位点可以起始转录.本实验运用Bisulfite Sequencing PCR(BSP)方法检测了2种肿瘤细胞HeLa(EGFR+)和K562(EGFR)EGFR基因-1300～+600的甲基化状态.所检测目的片段共包含178个CpG位点.发现EGFR阳性与EGFR阴性两种细胞系的甲基化状态不同:宫颈癌细胞系HeLa转录起始点附近包括第一外显子区(-244～+91)处于非甲基化状态,白血病细胞系K562转录起始点附近包括第一外显子区呈嵌合性的高甲基化状态.因此,第一外显子比启动子区的甲基化状态更能反映基因的活化状况.     

猪脂联素基因启动子区甲基化与其mRNA表达分析

脂联素(Adiponectin)是至今发现的唯一与肥胖呈负相关的脂肪细胞特异性蛋白, 是调控生物体的能量稳态、葡萄糖代谢和脂肪代谢的脂源性细胞因子之一。生物信息学分析发现, adiponectin基因启动子区-1500~-1350 bp 是CpG位点的富集区域。为了进一步研究脂联素基因的表达调控研究, 文章从表观遗传学角度出发, 通过Real-time PCR与甲基化特异性PCR(Methylation special PCR, MSP)的方法对脂联素基因的表达及其启动子区的甲基化状况进行了分析。结果表明, 在adiponectin基因启动子区CG富集的区域(-1500~-1350 bp)中, 90日龄长白猪大多去甲基化(83%), 90日龄蓝塘猪部分去甲基化(33%), 成年蓝塘猪全是高度甲基化(100%), 成年长白猪部分去甲基化(33%)。甲基化与去甲基化过程主要发生在某些特定CpG位点。脂联素基因在猪肌肉组织中以高度甲基化状态为主, 这一结果与该基因在肌肉组织中表达量相吻合。以上结果提示, 随个体发育, 脂联素基因的甲基化状态随基因表达的波动呈现动态的过程, 表现出与基因表达量波动基本一致的波动趋势。     

Progressive increases in the methylation status and heterochromatinization of the myoD CpG island during oncogenic transformation.

Alterations in DNA methylation patterns are one of the earliest and most common events in tumorigenesis. Overall levels of genomic methylation often decrease during transformation, but localized regions of increased methylation have been observed in the same tumors. We have examined changes in the methylation status of the muscle determination gene myoD, which contains a CpG island, as a function of oncogenic transformation. This CpG island underwent de novo methylation during immortalization of 10T1/2 cells, and progressively more sites became methylated during the subsequent transformation of the cells to oncogenicity. The greatest increase in methylation occurred in the middle of the CpG island in exon 1 during transformation. Interestingly, no methylation was apparent in the putative promoter of myoD in either the 10T1/2 cell line or its transformed derivative. The large number of sites in the CpG island that became methylated during transformation was correlated with heterochromatinization of myoD as evidenced by a decreased sensitivity to cleavage of DNA in nuclei by MspI. A site in the putative promoter also became insensitive to MspI digestion in nuclei, suggesting that the chromatin structural changes extended beyond the areas of de novo methylation. Unlike Lyonized genes on the inactive X chromosome, whose timing of replication is shifted to late S phase, myoD replicated early in S phase in the transformed cell line. Methylation analysis of myoD in DNAs from several human tumors, which presumably do not express the gene, showed that hypermethylation also frequently occurs during carcinogenesis in vivo. Thus, the progressive increase in methylation of myoD during immortalization and transformation coinciding with a change in chromatin structure, as illustrated by the in vitro tumorigenic model, may represent a common mechanism in carcinogenesis for permanently silencing the expression of genes which can influence cell growth and differentiation.     

Disruption of the FA/BRCA pathway in bladder cancer

Bladder carcinomas frequently show extensive deletions of chromosomes 9p and/or 9q, potentially including the loci of the Fanconi anemia (FA) genes FANCC and FANCG. FA is a rare recessive disease due to defects in anyone of 13 FANC genes manifesting with genetic instability and increased risk of neoplasia. FA cells are hypersensitive towards DNA crosslinking agents such as mitomycin C and cisplatin that are commonly employed in the chemotherapy of bladder cancers. These observations suggest the possibility of disruption of the FA/BRCA DNA repair pathway in bladder tumors. However, mutations in FANCC or FANCG could not be detected in any of 23 bladder carcinoma cell lines and ten surgical tumor specimens by LOH analysis or by FANCD2 immunoblotting assessing proficiency of the pathway. Only a single cell line, BFTC909, proved defective for FANCD2 monoubiquitination and was highly sensitive towards mitomycin C. This increased sensitivity was restored specifically by transfer of the FANCF gene. Sequencing of FANCF in BFTC909 failed to identify mutations, but methylation of cytosine residues in the FANCF promoter region was demonstrated by methylation-specific PCR, HpaII restriction and bisulfite DNA sequencing. Methylation-specific PCR uncovered only a single instance of FANCF promoter hypermethylation in surgical specimens of further 41 bladder carcinomas. These low proportions suggest that in contrast to other types of tumors silencing of FANCF is a rare event in bladder cancer and that an intact FA/BRCA pathway might be advantageous for tumor progression.     

In vitro DNA cytosine methylation of cis-regulatory elements modulates c-Ha-ras promoter activity in vivo.

The effect of DNA cytosine methylation on promoter activity was assessed using a transient expression system employing pHrasCAT. This 551 bp Ha-ras-1 gene promoter region is enriched with 84 CpG dinucleotides, six functional GC boxes, and is prototypic of many genes possessing CpG islands in their promoter regions. Bacterial modification enzymes HhaI methyl transferase (MTase) and HpaII MTase, alone or in combination with a human placental DNA methyltransferase (HP MTase) that methylates CpG sites in a generalized manner, including asymmetric elements such as GC box CpG's, were used to methylate at different types of sites in the promoter. Methylation of HhaI and HpaII sites reduced CAT expression by approximately 70%-80%, whereas methylation at generalized CpG sites with HP MTase inactivated the promoter by greater than 95%. The inhibition of H-ras promoter activity was not attributable to methylation-induced differences in DNA uptake or stability in the cell, topological form of the plasmid, or methylation effects in non-promoter regions.     

Hypermethylation of the gene promoter and enhancer region can regulate Fas expression and sensitivity in colon carcinoma

Expression of the cell surface receptor Fas is frequently lost or decreased during tumor progression in human colon carcinomas. The methylation status of a 583 bp CpG-rich region within the Fas promoter (-575 to +8) containing 28 CpG sites was determined in human colon carcinoma cell lines. In Caco(2) (no Fas expression), 82-93% of CpG sites were methylated, whereas none were methylated in GC(3)/c1 (high Fas expression). In RKO (intermediate level of Fas), a single CpG site, located at -548, was 100% methylated. The inhibitor of methylation, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadC), upregulated Fas expression in four of eight cell lines, and sensitized RKO cells to recombinant FasL-induced apoptosis. The p53-binding region in the first intron of the Fas gene was partially methylated in Caco(2), and 5-azadC potentiated Ad-wtp53-induced upregulation of Fas expression. Methylation-specific PCR of the first intron detected partial methylation in four out of 10 colon carcinoma tumor samples in vivo. The data suggest that DNA hypermethylation is one mechanism that contributes to the downregulation of Fas expression and subsequent loss of sensitivity to Fas-induced apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells.