Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Keratin filament are characteristically present in epithelial cells and tumors, but have also been detected in many normal and neoplastic non-epithelial cell types using immunohistochemical techniques. To investigate the validity of this seemingly aberrant protein expression, we applied the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to study keratin gene expression in a variety of non-epithelial tissues. Total RNA was extracted from nine samples of leiomyosarcoma, four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, seven normal bone marrows, normal lymph node, normal peripheral blood cells, freshly isolated and cultured endothelial cells, cultured skin fibroblasts, and the myeloid leukemia cell line HL-60. Amplification primers and probes for the three most primitive keratin types (8, 18, and 19) were synthesized using published gene sequences. RNA from the breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7, known to be rich in all three keratins, was used as positive control. Concurrently run actin primers were used to confirm RNA integrity. After an initial cycle with reverse transcriptase, PCR amplification was performed for 30 cycles. Southern blots of the PCR products showed variably intense bands corresponding to keratin 8 and 18 gene products in all samples, offering conclusive evidence of keratin gene expression in cells of both stromal and hematopoietic derivation. However, keratin 19 gene transcription was not nearly so ubiquitous, being detected in normal fibroblasts and endothelial cells, two of four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and four of nine leiomyosarcoma, but not in normal lymph node, peripheral blood cells, HL-60 cells, or any of the seven normal bone marrows examined. Dilutional experiments showed PCR to be highly sensitive in the detection of keratin 19 gene expression, capable of registering one MCF-7 cell in 10(6) HL-60 cells. These studies show that variable levels of keratin 8 and 18 gene expression may be detected by PCR in a wide variety of non-epithelial tissues, supporting previous immunohistochemical and phylogenetic studies. However, keratin 19 gene expression appears to be more restricted and was not evident in any hematopoietic cells devoid of contaminating stromal elements. These findings suggest a role for PCR in the detection of epithelial micrometastasis in certain sites, particularly bone marrow.
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PMID:Keratin gene expression in non-epithelial tissues. Detection with polymerase chain reaction. 768 61

Three different classes of Fc receptors for IgG (Fc gamma R) are currently distinguished in humans, of which polymorphonuclear phagocytes (PMN) normally express both low-affinity receptor classes--Fc gamma RII (CD32) and Fc gamma RIII (CD16). During therapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), neutrophils from patients with various malignancies and different hematologic disorders were found to additionally express high levels of the receptor with high affinity for IgG (Fc gamma RI; CD64). For these patients, the relative fluorescence intensity (rFI) for Fc gamma RI was 5.3 (range, 1.7 to 10.3; n = 19), compared with 1.0 (range, 1.0 to 1.1; n = 8) for healthy donors. The expression of Fc gamma RI during G-CSF therapy could be confirmed by using a panel of six CD64-specific antibodies, and by showing mRNA for Fc gamma RI. So far, three genes for Fc gamma RI have been identified, encoding four distinct transcription products. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technology, transcripts for both membrane-associated isoforms (hFc gamma RIa and hFc gamma RIb2) could be detected. The functional activity of Fc gamma RI on PMN during G-CSF therapy was shown by measuring binding of monomeric human IgG and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Thus, Fc gamma RI-positive neutrophils displayed enhanced ADCC activity to glioma (A1207), squamous cell (A431), and ovarian (SK-ov3) carcinoma cell lines. The involvement of Fc gamma RI in this increased cytotoxic activity was shown by blocking Fc gamma receptors with monoclonal antibodies, and by using F(ab')2 x F(ab')2-bispecific antibodies with specificities against tumor-related antigens and Fc gamma RI, resulting in solely Fc gamma RI-mediated cytotoxicity. Therapeutically, this additional Fc receptor on PMN may increase the efficacy of experimental antibody therapy.
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PMID:Involvement of the high-affinity receptor for IgG (Fc gamma RI; CD64) in enhanced tumor cell cytotoxicity of neutrophils during granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy. 768 98

The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify genomic DNA and reverse-transcribed RNA from human lymphocytes, using primers derived from conserved regions within the retroviral reverse transcriptase. Sequencing of 33 cloned amplification products revealed that a variety of sequences with similarity to mouse mammary tumor virus, mouse intracisternal A particle, and human endogenous retrovirus K10 were detected with this primer pair. The sequences were divided into six subgroups, with a nucleotide sequence dissimilarity of about 25% between the subgroups. Members within five of the subgroups were most closely related to human endogenous retrovirus K10 and mouse mammary tumor virus, whereas sequences of the sixth subgroup also showed similarity to mouse intracisternal A particle. Ten of the sequences had open reading frames with preference for silent mutations at conserved sites. Southern blot analysis showed that some HML (human endogenous MMTV-like) subgroups (HML-4 and HML-5) were present in a few copies (about 5), whereas others (HML-1 to HML-3 and HML-6) were present in at least 10 to 20 copies per genome. Northern (RNA) blot analysis revealed that several of the subgroups are differentially expressed in human normal tissues. A complex pattern of transcripts from about 12 to 1.4 kb was found in several of the tissues tested. However, the most abundant expression was detected in lung (all subgroups), skeletal muscle (HML-4 and HML-5), placenta (HML-2 and HML-5), and kidney (HML-2, HML-3 and HML-5). Expression of reverse transcriptase sequences in human tissues may have biological consequences. The described sequences are similar to elements which cause carcinoma and are immunoregulatory in mice. It remains to be seen whether human sequences also have such functions.
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PMID:Characterization of novel reverse transcriptase encoding human endogenous retroviral sequences similar to type A and type B retroviruses: differential transcription in normal human tissues. 769 84

Inactivation of the deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC) tumor suppressor gene has been reported not only in colorectal carcinoma but also in other human malignancies. In order to evaluate the role of the DCC gene in leukemogenesis, we examined DCC expression using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Expression of the DCC gene was reduced or absent in 10 of 39 (26%) patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), three of 14 (29%) patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), seven of 33 (21%) patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), three of 39 (8%) patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and five of nine (56%) patients with overt leukemia progressed from MDS. These findings suggest that inactivation of the DCC gene contributes to some instances of leukemogenesis.
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PMID:Expression of the DCC gene in human hematological malignancies. 769 19

Bcl-2 protein expression has been found to block apoptosis and its overexpression has been implicated in lymphoid malignancies where the chromosomal translocation t(14;18) is present. In this study we investigated bcl-2 transcription and protein expression in cultured cervical carcinoma cell lines and keratinocytes. Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated bcl-2 expression in the cytoplasm of 4 out of 5 cervical carcinoma cell lines examined (HeLa, CaSki, C-33A, and HT-3, but not SiHa). Bcl-2 protein expression was undetectable in normal keratinocytes. None of the cell lines examined demonstrated chromosomal translocation or rearrangement at the major breakpoint-cluster region (MBR) of the bcl-2 gene using either Southern blot or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses. Northern blot analysis demonstrated low levels of bcl-2 transcription in HeLa, CaSki, and C-33A cell lines while reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR demonstrated bcl-2 transcription in all cervical carcinoma cell lines which had bcl-2 protein expression. Thus, these data suggest that bcl-2 expression occurs in cervical carcinoma cell lines in the absence of chromosomal translocation or rearrangement of the bcl-2 gene. However, each of these cervical carcinoma cell lines contains inactive p53, either due to mutation (C-33A and HT-3) or via complexation and degradation with human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 E6 protein (HeLa and CaSki). Thus, functional p53, which can induce apoptosis in certain cells, is not present in these cervical cells which have increased bcl-2 expression. Increased bcl-2 expression under conditions of p53 inactivation may provide cells with a selective advantage for survival and consequently play a role in the development of cervical carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Bcl-2 protooncogene expression in cervical carcinoma cell lines containing inactive p53. 776 85

Point mutations and deletions in the p53 tumor suppressor gene occur frequently in advanced stage bladder tumors. To extend these observations to an in vitro model of bladder tumorigenicity, we have evaluated the presence of p53 mutations in a panel of bladder carcinoma cell lines. p53 alleles were cloned using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method, and exons 2-11 were sequenced. Of 11 cell lines examined, 5 cell lines had missense point mutations, and each overexpressed p53 protein on western blot analysis. Except for the HT-1197 cell line, these point mutations occurred in evolutionarily conserved domains, which are characteristic hot spots for mutations. HT-1197 encodes an unusual C-terminal point mutation in codon 365, within the basic motif tetramerization domain, suggesting a linkage between induction of a mutant p53 conformation and alterations in protein oligomerization. Six of 11 cell lines had wild-type levels of p53 expression, with 4 producing p53 proteins having either internal deletions or truncations, and 2 producing wild-type p53. Presence of wild-type p53 was found only in cell lines derived from either a low-grade, papillary tumor (RT4) or fetal bladder (FHs 738Bl). The T24 cell line was found to contain a novel p53 mutant having an in-frame deletion of tyrosine 126. This p53 mutant does not bind SV40 large T antigen, yet is expressed at low levels, comparable to cell lines containing wild-type p53 alleles. Our findings characterize p53 mutations in a panel of bladder carcinoma cell lines, and provide a model for testing the role of wild-type or mutant p53 cDNA to suppress or induce tumorigenic properties.
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PMID:p53 mutations in bladder carcinoma cell lines. 778 50

Competitive inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase are currently used to treat patients with hypercholesterolaemia. These inhibitors affect not only cholesterol biosynthesis, but also the production of non-steroidal mevalonate derivatives, that are involved in a number of growth-regulatory processes. As a consequence, their potential use as anticancer drugs has been suggested. In order to examine long-term effects of this potential therapeutic approach, we cultivated the gastric carcinoma cell line, EPG85-257, and the breast tumour cell line, MDA-MB231, in the presence of increasing concentrations of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, pravastatin. For both cell lines, this procedure led to the selection of resistant variants able to proliferate in more than 1000 microM inhibitor. By competitive reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction assay (cRT-PCR), the expression of the mRNA for two key proteins of cellular cholesterol metabolism, HMG-CoA reductase and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, were analysed in sensitive and resistant cells. Despite similar growth rates, MDA-MB231 cells expressed approximately four times more HMG-CoA reductase mRNA than EPG85-257 cells and over 30 times more LDL receptor mRNA. Both mRNA species were coordinately regulated in the parental and in the pravastatin-resistant variant cells. Expression was highly stimulated (3- to 4-fold for the HMG-CoA reductase and 2- to 3-fold for the LDL receptor) in the resistant variants when cultured in lipoprotein-deficient medium in the presence of 1000 microM pravastatin. Immunocytological analysis of the expression of the HMG-CoA reductase and LDL receptor protein were in accordance with the data on specific mRNA expression obtained by cRT-PCR. Southern blot analysis revealed a 1.5-fold amplification of the HMG-CoA reductase gene in resistant MDA-MB231 cells, but not in the resistant EPG85-257 variant. Our data provide evidence for resistance mechanisms to pravastatin that are independent of the amplification of the HMG-CoA reductase gene. By analogy to the cell-culture models employed in this study, it is conceivable that similar mechanisms might occur in human tumour cells in vivo during long-term treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. This might limit their application as chemotherapeutic anticancer agents.
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PMID:Effects of pravastatin, a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor, on two human tumour cell lines. 779 99

The purpose of this study was to correlate the presence of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 mRNAs, detected in serial sections using the reverse transcriptase in situ PCR technique, with prognosis in 23 cases of cervical carcinoma. PCR-amplified MMP and TIMP cDNA were restricted to the invasive cancers cells and the surrounding stromal cells. The ratios of cancer and stromal cells expressing MMP-9 and MMP-2 to those expressing TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were approximately 1 in those cancers with a good prognosis. This MMP:TIMP ratio in the cancer and stromal cells with a poor prognosis was significantly increased to 5.4 and 3.4 (P < 0.0001), respectively, reflecting a marked reduction in the TIMP detection rate in cancers with a poor prognosis. In cervical cancer cell lines SiHa and HeLa, the MMP:TIMP ratio was also close to 1 and, interestingly, these cell lines are invasive but rarely metastatic in nude mice. These data suggest that the balance of MMP-9 and MMP-2 to TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 expression is an essential factor in the aggressiveness of cervical cancer.
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PMID:Correlation of the in situ detection of polymerase chain reaction-amplified metalloproteinase complementary DNAs and their inhibitors with prognosis in cervical carcinoma. 781 56

Type I transglutaminase (TGase I, keratinocyte or particulate transglutaminase) is a 92-kilodalton (kDa) protein expressed in abundance in cultured keratinocytes and in the hyperproliferative skin disorder psoriasis. To determine the expression of TGase I protein and mRNA, we studied tissue and established squamous carcinoma lines derived from different sources. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to detect TGase I protein with the B.C1 mouse monoclonal antibody. Only well-differentiated, skin-derived squamous carcinomas stained for TGase I. However, a precocious pattern of expression was seen overlying less-differentiated tumors. Compared to cultured human keratinocytes, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) had many times less to 7.8 times more TGase I protein, greatest in the two most differentiated tumor lines 14-83 and ME-180. TGase I mRNA levels ranged from 0.010 to 0.00004 pg/microgram total RNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using an internal standard. Protein expression correlated with mRNA levels in most SCC lines. When a human TGase I promoter was isolated and used to study genomic DNA, SCC1-83 was shown to have unique restriction enzyme fragments, including one indicative of methylation differences, also present within DNA from the KB line. These studies suggest that transcriptional control of TGase I gene expression in squamous carcinomas may be influenced both by cis elements in the promoter and by the degree of tumor squamous differentiation.
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PMID:Keratinocyte transglutaminase expression varies in squamous cell carcinomas. 790 83

To ezamine the clinical relevance of P-glycoprotein, encoded by the human multidrug resistance gene (MDR1), to multidrug resistance in lung cancer, we examined the expression of MDR1 in 107 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens and 20 corresponding specimens of normal lung tissues. We also evaluated the relationship between MDR1 expression and the histopathology and pathological staging of NSCLC. The tumors consisted of 60 adenocarcinomas, 38 squamous cell carcinomas, 8 large cell carcinomas, and 1 adenosquamous carcinoma. MDR1 expression was semi-quantified by use of the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method. We subclassified the NSCLC into 3 grades according to the MDR1 expression level (-, +, ++). Sixty-one of the 107 tumor specimens (57%) and 18 of the normal lung tissue specimens (90%) expressed various levels of the MDR1 gene. Only one tumor specimen showed higher MDR1 expression than the corresponding normal lung tissue. The relationship between pathological stage and MDR1 expression levels was not significant. These results suggest that the level of MDR1 expression in lung cells is decreased as cells progress from the normal to the transformed state.
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PMID:Expression of the multidrug resistance gene (MDR1) in non-small cell lung cancer. 791 40


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