TY - JOUR
T1 - High frequency of hypermethylation at the 14-3-3 σ locus leads to gene silencing in breast cancer
AU - Ferguson, Anne T.
AU - Evron, Ella
AU - Umbricht, Christopher B.
AU - Pandita, Tej K.
AU - Chan, Timothy A.
AU - Hermeking, Heiko
AU - Marks, Jeffrey R.
AU - Lambers, Anouk R.
AU - Futreal, P. Andrew
AU - Stampfer, Martha R.
AU - Sukumar, Saraswati
PY - 2000/5/23
Y1 - 2000/5/23
N2 - Expression of 14-3-3 σ (σ) is induced in response to DNA damage, and causes cells to arrest in G2. By SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) analysis, we identified σ as a gene whose expression is 7-fold lower in breast carcinoma cells than in normal breast epithelium. We verified this finding by Northern blot analysis. Remarkably, σ mRNA was undetectable in 45 of 48 primary breast carcinomas. Genetic alterations at σ such as loss of heterozygosity were rare (1/20 informative cases), and no mutations were detected (0/34). On the other hand, hypermethylation of CpG islands in the σ gene was detected in 91% (75/82) of breast tumors and was associated with lack of gene expression. Hypermethylation of σ is functionally important, because treatment of σ-non-expressing breast cancer cell lines with the drug 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine resulted in demethylation of the gene and synthesis of σ mRNA. Breast cancer cells lacking σ expression showed increased number of chromosomal breaks and gaps when exposed to γ-irradiation. Therefore, it is possible that loss of σ expression contributes to malignant transformation by impairing the G2 cell cycle checkpoint function, thus allowing an accumulation of genetic defects. Hypermethylation and loss of σ expression are the most consistent molecular alterations in breast cancer identified so far.
AB - Expression of 14-3-3 σ (σ) is induced in response to DNA damage, and causes cells to arrest in G2. By SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) analysis, we identified σ as a gene whose expression is 7-fold lower in breast carcinoma cells than in normal breast epithelium. We verified this finding by Northern blot analysis. Remarkably, σ mRNA was undetectable in 45 of 48 primary breast carcinomas. Genetic alterations at σ such as loss of heterozygosity were rare (1/20 informative cases), and no mutations were detected (0/34). On the other hand, hypermethylation of CpG islands in the σ gene was detected in 91% (75/82) of breast tumors and was associated with lack of gene expression. Hypermethylation of σ is functionally important, because treatment of σ-non-expressing breast cancer cell lines with the drug 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine resulted in demethylation of the gene and synthesis of σ mRNA. Breast cancer cells lacking σ expression showed increased number of chromosomal breaks and gaps when exposed to γ-irradiation. Therefore, it is possible that loss of σ expression contributes to malignant transformation by impairing the G2 cell cycle checkpoint function, thus allowing an accumulation of genetic defects. Hypermethylation and loss of σ expression are the most consistent molecular alterations in breast cancer identified so far.
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.100566997
DO - 10.1073/pnas.100566997
M3 - Article
C2 - 10811911
AN - SCOPUS:12944275670
VL - 97
SP - 6049
EP - 6054
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 11
ER -