Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.48 (transcriptase)
 9,479 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Pancreatic neoplasms harbor different prognoses according to their histological type: a benign course for serous cystadenoma, a low malignant potential for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN), and high aggressiveness for ductal adenocarcinoma (ADC). Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) may regulate tumor growth. The present study analyzes and compares the expression of its precursor beta 1-latency-associated peptide (beta 1-LAP), its latent binding protein (LTBP), and its mRNA in ductal adenocarcinoma (n = 10), in IPMN (n = 8), in serous cystadenoma (n = 2), and in normal tissues (n = 5). LTBP is thought to play a strategic role in the processing and active secretion of latent TGF beta 1 and its stockage in the extracellular matrix. Localization of beta 1-LAP and LTBP was assessed by immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies and expression of TGF beta 1 mRNA by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis. beta 1-LAP was only slightly expressed in normal specimens, while LTBP was not detected. beta 1-LAP was detected in the cytoplasm of neoplastic cells in 9 of 10 patients with ADC. An intense staining was present in stromal cells surrounding the neoplastic glands in all cases except in one carcinoma in situ. LTBP was detected only in stromal cells and in the surrounding extracellular matrix. In IPMN with mild-grade dysplasia and in cystadenoma, beta 1-LAP was strongly expressed in the epithelial cells, while it was poorly detected in invasive IPMN; stromal cells were poorly or not all stained by beta 1-LAP, except in invasive IPMN (n = 2). LTBP was detected in neoplastic cells of three cases with benign IPMN and two of two cases with cystadenoma, while stroma was not immunostained. TGF beta 1 mRNA was strongly expressed in most of the tumors and no difference in expression was observed between the different types of neoplasms. There is no quantitative difference in expression of TGF beta 1 in ADC and in IPMN or cystadenoma. However, the latter are able to secrete TGF beta 1 efficiently, in contrast to ductal ADC as shown by the ability of the neoplastic cells to express both beta 1-LAP and LTBP. Invasive stroma reaction was associated with enhanced beta 1-LAP and LTBP expression in stromal cells and could be mediated by TGF beta 1 via LTBP
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PMID:Different expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and cystic neoplasms. 921 91

A natural animal model for human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (H/N SCC) has not been described. The domestic cat has a high spontaneous occurrence of oropharyngeal SCC, which is similar to the human disease in aggressiveness and incurability. We have developed a cell line (SCCF1) from a laryngeal SCC of a cat. Keratinocytes were maintained in culture for greater than 50 passages. SCCF1 had strong cytokeratin immunohistochemical staining, weak vimentin staining, and no p53 staining. Ultrastructual features included cytokeratin filaments and desmosomes, as well as features of anaplasia (irregular cytoplasmic and nuclear margins, surface filopodia, and abnormal intermediate filament production). Karyotype analysis revealed aneuploidy, with a stemline chromosomal number of 34. The cells grew logarithmically for 6 d until confluency. SCCF1 expressed parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein, and secreted the protein into the medium. Treatment of SCCF1 with transforming growth factor-beta increased PTHrP production but did not affect PTHrP mRNA stability. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a 282-base pair region of feline PTHrP mRNA, encoding portions of the pre-pro and coding regions. The complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) was cloned and sequenced. The cDNA and the predicted amino acid sequences had a high degree of homology to human and canine PTHrP. RT-PCR was used to confirm alternate splicing of PTHrP mRNA for translation of PTHrP 1-139 and PTHrP 1-141. The SCCF1 cell line will permit mechanistic experiments on genetic dysregulation in neoplastic keratinocytes of the feline oropharynx, and development of an in vitro model for H/N cancer.
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PMID:Feline head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line: characterization, production of parathyroid hormone-related protein, and regulation by transforming growth factor-beta. 1177 73

Persistent high mortality rates in breast cancer patients, in spite of latest advances in diagnosis and therapy, affirm the necessity of new developments in tumor biology prognostic factors. Immunocytochemical detection of disseminated breast cancer cells in bone marrow has been frequently associated with a decrease in disease-free survival as an independent prognostic factor, but methods based on molecular biology procedures must still be validated. Considering tumor heterogeneity, the multimarker approach has been suggested as a better strategy than individual marker assays. The aim of this work was evaluation of the prognostic value of a multimarker reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, associating four mRNA markers for the detection of disseminated breast cancer cells. We compared the prognostic significance of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), mammaglobin (MG) and the mucin MUC5B mRNA in bone marrow aspirates in the follow-up of 80 operable breast cancer patients. The best prognostic value for clinical outcome was seen for CEA mRNA, not improved for any association with other markers. Unexpectedly, some tumor mRNA in bone marrow correlates with a favorable clinical outcome, especially MUC5B. Therefore, our results suggest that not all epithelial or tumor markers have the same significance in predicting the metastatic potential of disseminated cancer cells. New parameters are needed for the identification of individual patients at high risk of tumor recurrence. Multimarker RT-PCR assays could be a good approach, but they should be performed associating mRNA markers that are able to predict tumor aggressiveness associated with poor outcome and not just epithelial markers, which only indicate the mere presence of tumor cells.
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PMID:Clinical evaluation of a panel of mRNA markers in the detection of disseminated tumor cells in patients with operable breast cancer. 1601 42

Iflavirus RNA was detected in honeybee colonies displaying unduly aggressive behavior and with no evidence of morphological alterations. Sequence analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) revealed that the iflavirus strain was more similar (> 99% aa) to Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), that has been associated with morphological alterations in bees, rather than to the newly-described Kakugo Virus (KV) (about 95% aa), that has been associated with increased aggressiveness. Therefore, the iflavirus strain detected in the Italian hives genetically resembled DWV but was apparently associated with a KV-like phenotype. RT-PCR detected the iflavirus RNA in the abdomen of the workers, and only in one case was the virus detected in the head. No viral RNA was detected in the drones, a pattern of virus distribution across the honeybee casts that is in apparent conflict with the higher rates of infestation of drones by the mite Varroa distructor. The identification of a virus with apparently intermediate features between DWV and KV open new perspectives on the patho-biological role of iflaviruses in honeybees.
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PMID:Detection of a honeybee iflavirus with intermediate characteristics between kakugo virus and deformed wing virus. 1912 97