| Institution: | (1) Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchew, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 4H4;(2) Department of Pediatric and Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchew, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 4H4;(3) Division of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchew, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 4H4;(4) Cancer Research Unit, Health Research Division, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Saskatoon, Saskachewan, Canada, S7N 4H4;(5) Saskatoon Cancer Center, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 4H4;(6) Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskachewan, Canada, S7N 4H4 |
| Abstract: | N-myristoylation is a process of covalent irreversible protein modification that promotes association of proteins with membranes. Based on our previous findings of elevated N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) activity in colonic epithelial neoplasms that appears at an early stage in colonic carcinogenesis, together with elevated NMT expression in human colorectal and gallbladder carcinomas, we investigated NMT activity and protein expression of NMT1 and NMT2 in human brain tumors and documented elevated NMT activity and higher protein expressions. For the first time, we have demonstrated that NMT has the potential to be used as a marker of human brain tumors. However, further studies with larger number of patients are required to establish its role as a complementary diagnostic tool. This finding has significant implications for further understanding of biological mechanisms involved in tumorigenesis, as well as for diagnosis and therapy of human brain tumors. |
