Repression of the IL-6 gene is associated with hypermethylation. |
| |
Authors: | F Armenante M Merola A Furia M Palmieri |
| |
Affiliation: | Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e della Visione, Sezione di Chimica Biologica, Facolta' di Medicina e Chirurgia, Universita' di Verona, Strada le Grazie 8, Verona, 37134, Italy. |
| |
Abstract: | The expression of the IL-6 gene is usually tightly controlled and may be induced in specific tissues after treatment with appropriate stimuli. Although much is known about the inducible expression of the IL-6 gene, the molecular mechanisms responsible for its repression in specific tissues or cell types remain poorly defined. To address this question we have studied two human breast carcinoma cell lines, MDA-MB-231, in which the IL-6 gene is expressed, and, MCF-7, in which the IL-6 message is undetectable by Northern blot assay even in the presence of inducers. The expression of the IL-6 message was estimated after treatment with 5-aza-2'deoxycytidine and the methylation state of the IL-6 gene was analyzed. We show herein that treatment of MCF-7 cells with an agent which reduces DNA methylation correlates with IL-6 gene hypomethylation and increases the level of its expression. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|