Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0596263 (carcinogenesis)
 64,820 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alterations of the methylation patterns of DNA are common in cancer cells and could conceivably comprise a subset of causal events in the carcinogenesis process. Although it has previously been shown that methylation of CpG islands in the 5'-control regions of tumor suppressor genes such as p16, Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome gene, and the retinoblastoma (RB) gene can suppress expression and function of these gene products, the elements that control the expression of the p53 gene have not been examined in detail. In this study we examined the effect of CpG methylation in a region of the p53 promoter containing major transcription start sites. A region of the p53 promoter (from -199 to +142) containing 15 CpG dinucleotides was placed in a pCAT reporter plasmid and reporter activity was assessed in host CV-1 cells. We show for the first time that transcriptional activation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, as assessed by a reporter plasmid construct, can be down-regulated by cytosine methylation in the basal promoter region. We believe these data suggest a role for methylation of CpG sequences in the regulation of transcription of p53. This implies that the tumor suppressor gene p53 could, therefore, contribute to carcinogenesis by inactivation via methylation of a key element in cell cycle control.
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PMID:CpG methylation inactivates the transcriptional activity of the promoter of the human p53 tumor suppressor gene. 919 6

In the present study we have characterized eight human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell lines for levels of expression of cyclins D1, E, A and B1; CDKs 1, 2 and 4; the CDK inhibitors p16INK4, p21WAF1 and p27KIP1; the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein; and in vitro CDK2- and CDK4-associated kinase activity; and also compared the growth properties of these cell lines. The level of the cyclin D1 protein varied by over 30-fold amongst the eight cell lines. The high level in two cell lines was associated with amplification of this gene, but in three cell lines it was due to post-transcriptional events. Amongst the eight cell lines there was a significant correlation between the levels of cyclin D1, Rb and p27KIP1 proteins, and CDK4-associated kinase activity. Furthermore, when an exogenous cyclin D1 cDNA was over-expressed in the EC109 cell line by transfection, this led to increased expression of both Rb and p27KIP1. There was, however, no correlation between the level of cyclin D1 expression and the cell doubling times, duration of the G1 phase, or colony-forming efficiency in agar. Two of the cell lines displayed a high level of the cyclin E protein, low levels of cyclin D1, lacked expression of the Rb protein and expressed high levels of the p16INK4 protein. One of these cell lines displayed amplification of the latter gene. There was no correlation between the levels of cyclins E or A and in vitro CDK2 kinase activity, but CDK2 kinase activity was inversely correlated with the duration of the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Taken together, these studies indicate marked heterogeneity in the expression of cell cycle-related proteins amongst a series of esophageal carcinoma cell lines. The correlation between the levels of the cyclin D1, Rb and p27Kip1 proteins suggest the existence of a homeostatic feedback loop between positive and negative acting components of the cell cycle machinery.
Carcinogenesis 1997 Jun
PMID:Increased expression of the P27KIP1 protein in human esophageal cancer cell lines that over-express cyclin D1. 921 95

High-risk human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) and HPV-18 are associated with the majority of human cervical carcinomas, and two viral genes, HPV E6 and E7, are commonly found to be expressed in these cancers. The presence of HPV-16 E7 is sufficient to induce epidermal hyperplasia and epithelial tumors in transgenic mice. In this study, we have performed experiments in transgenic mice to determine which domains of E7 contribute to these in vivo properties. The human keratin 14 promoter was used to direct expression of mutant E7 genes to stratified squamous epithelia in mice. The E7 mutants chosen had either an in-frame deletion in the conserved region 2 (CR2) domain, which is required for binding of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRb) and pRb-like proteins, or an in-frame deletion in the E7 CR1 domain. The CR1 domain contributes to cellular transformation at a level other than pRb binding. Four lines of animals transgenic for an HPV-16 E7 harboring a CR1 deletion and five lines harboring a CR2 deletion were generated and were observed for overt and histological phenotypes. A detailed time course analysis was performed to monitor acute effects of wild-type versus mutant E7 on the epidermis, a site of high-level expression. In the transgenic mice with the wild-type E7 gene, age-dependent expression of HPV-16 E7 correlated with the severity of epidermal hyperplasia. Similar age-dependent patterns of expression of the mutant E7 genes failed to result in any phenotypes. In addition, the transgenic mice with a mutant E7 gene did not develop tumors. These experiments indicate that binding and inactivation of pRb and pRb-like proteins through the CR2 domain of E7 are necessary for induction of epidermal hyperplasia and carcinogenesis in mouse skin and also suggest a role for the CR1 domain in the induction of these phenotypes through as-yet-uncharacterized mechanisms.
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PMID:Both conserved region 1 (CR1) and CR2 of the human papillomavirus type 16 E7 oncogene are required for induction of epidermal hyperplasia and tumor formation in transgenic mice. 922 80

The mouse double minute 2 (mdm2) proto-oncogene was originally discovered as one of three genes that was amplified in a tumorigenic cell line derived from non-transformed Balb/c cells. Consistent with the expression pattern of mdm2 in these cells, it was later shown that the transforming potential of the mdm2 proto-oncogene can be activated by experimental overexpression. Overexpression of mdm2 protein been detected in a number of diverse human malignancies, indicating that this oncogene plays a key role in human carcinogenesis. One mechanism by which mdm2 overexpression may lead to uncontrolled cellular proliferation is through its ability to physically associate with the p53 tumor suppressor and block p53's growth suppressive functions. Forced overexpression of mdm2 has been shown to block the transactivation, cell cycle arrest and apoptotic functions of p53. The mdm2 gene has also been shown to be a transcriptional target of p53 and the induction of p53 transcriptional activity leads to increases in mdm2 RNA and protein levels. Thus, it appears that an auto-regulatory feedback loop exists between these two proteins which keeps the growth suppressive functions of p53 in check during normal cell cycling. However, this block is thought to be overcome during certain cellular insults, including DNA damage, so that p53 can regulate the expression of genes involved in cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. Genetic lesions leading to elevated levels of mdm2 likely impair the ability of p53 to orchestrate the expression of genes controlling cell cycle progression during cellular insults. This may lead to the propagation of genetic errors, genomic instability and ultimately to an increase in the rate of tumor cell evolution. There is also recent evidence which suggests that mdm2 may play roles in p53-independent pathways regulating cellular proliferation. mdm2 has recently been shown to interact with the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein p(Rb), and the E2F-1 and DP1 transcription factors. These, and other clinical, cellular and biochemical studies relating to the mdm2 oncogene are reviewed here. In addition, a proposed role for mdm2 in pathways controlling cell cycle response to cellular perturbations is presented.
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PMID:The mdm2 proto-oncogene. 932 85

The role of genomic imprinting in the development of tumors with defective retinoblastoma protein function remains debatable. Disruption of either parental allele of the murine retinoblastoma (Rb) gene is sufficient for spontaneous melanotroph carcinogenesis to occur in almost all Rb+/- mice. Nevertheless, mice with a disrupted paternal Rb allele succumb to tumors faster. In these animals, the first foci of proliferating atypical Rb-negative cells appear and progress to overtly malignant tumors earlier. In addition, more foci of early atypical proliferation are observed. In Rb+/- mice, however, parental origin influences neither Rb expression nor proliferation of melanotrophs. Accordingly, Rb-/- mice rescued by the human RB transgene transmitted either paternally or maternally have similar survival rates. Taken together, the data point to the existence of an imprinted gene in an Rb-linked locus. The function of this gene affects the onset of melanotroph carcinogenesis, likely by controlling preferential survival of the cells with secondary loss of the Rb maternal allele. Rb+/- mice may serve as useful models to identify and characterize genomic imprinting mechanisms influencing carcinogenesis associated with Rb loss of function.
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PMID:Earlier onset of melanotroph carcinogenesis in mice with inherited mutant paternal allele of the retinoblastoma gene. 933 Oct 88

Carcinogenesis is a multistep process. Most hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is preceded by liver cirrhosis, but the genetic changes involved in cirrhosis are not known well. The present study was conducted to evaluate aberration of the retinoblastoma (RB) gene in HCC and adjacent non-tumorous liver using 22 patients with chronic liver damage accompanying HCC. The specimens obtained by microdissection from paraffin-embedded tissues were analyzed using an assay based on the polymerase chain reaction for highly polymorphic nucleotide sequences of microsatellites in the RB gene. Out of 22 cases, 15 showed constitutional heterozygosity for the microsatellite markers. In 11 (73.3%) of these 15 informative cases, the primary HCC foci showed loss of heterozygosity (LOH). In 8 of these 11 doubly informative (informative and LOH-positive in primary HCC) cases, LOH was found in 20 (64.5%) of 31 microdissected non-tumorous foci. All of the non-tumorous foci showing RB loss were cirrhotic lesions but there were no foci of chronic hepatitis. The remaining 4 cases without LOH in HCC foci showed no LOH in non-tumorous lesions. In our study, LOH of the RB gene was frequently observed in liver cirrhosis surrounding tumor.
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PMID:Loss of heterozygosity of the retinoblastoma gene in liver cirrhosis accompanying hepatocellular carcinoma. 934 98

To study the altered mechanisms of cell cycle regulation in colorectal cancer, the expressions of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), CDK inhibitors, p53 and retinoblastoma (Rb) protein were analyzed by western blotting in a series of human colorectal cancer cell lines. The colorectal cancer cell lines exhibited various expression patterns of cell cycle regulators, which may reflect differences in the biological characteristics of cancer cells and in the genetic backgrounds of carcinogenesis. A correlation was found between p53 gene alteration and p21 expression, suggesting that p53 gene mutation usually suppresses p21 expression, though p21 expression could be induced via both a p53-dependent and a p53-independent pathway in colorectal cancer. None of the cell lines studied expressed p16 protein, suggesting that inactivation of p16 may be a common alteration in colorectal cancer. Moreover, all the D-type cyclins, especially D2 and D3, were expressed at a high level in most of the cell lines. Loss of p16 expression and increased expression of D-type cyclins promote CDK-mediated Rb phosphorylation. All of the colorectal cancer cell lines studied herein expressed Rb protein, but the growth-suppressive properties of Rb may be inactivated by the loss of p16 expression and increased expressions of D-type cyclins. In view of the pivotal role of Rb in cell cycle regulation, loss of p16 expression and overexpression of D-type cyclins may be critical alterations in colorectal cancer.
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PMID:Expressions of cell cycle regulators in human colorectal cancer cell lines. 936 33

Effects of exposure to carcinogens at early stages of ontogenesis are considered. An increased cancer risk due to prenatal exposure may be related to: 1) exposure of the fetus during pregnancy to chemicals able to cross the placental barrier or to radiation; 2) exposure to a chemical or radiation of the parents or one parent prior to conception. In transplacental carcinogenesis, the effects observed after birth are a consequence of a direct interaction of the carcinogen with somatic cells of the fetus. DES and radiation were shown to increase cancer risk in humans following exposure during pregnancy, while in experimental animals a large variety of chemicals of quite different structure (including the widely used therapeutic agent cisplatin) were demonstrated to induce tumors in the progeny after administration during pregnancy. The experimental multigeneration effect of carcinogens is manifested in an increased incidence of tumors in several generations of untreated descendants of: a) females exposed to carcinogen during pregnancy; b) males exposed to carcinogen prior to mating with untreated females. The inherited change may be an initiating event revealed by the exposure during post-natal life to a promoting agent. In humans deleterious information inherited through the germ cells (occurring either following a spontaneous error in DNA replication and repair or as a consequence of a chemical or physical agent) can increase the risk of developing cancer in certain individuals by several orders of magnitude (retinoblastoma, familial polyposis of the colon and some others). The multigeneration transmission of carcinogenic risk is also demonstrated by cancer prone families that are probably more frequent than originally thought, with a risk that is one order of magnitude higher than in general population. Familial clusterings of cancer may also indicate germline mutations in one or more genes. Thus the inherited predisposition to cancer that is observed today may, at least in part, be explained by the exposure to environmental noxious agents in previous generation(s). Since humans are exposed throughout life to many environmental agents, either carcinogenic or capable to enhance the progression of cancer, an understanding of the contribution of prenatal exposure to carcinogens could improve the efficacy of prevention.
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PMID:[Transplacental and transgenerational carcinogenesis]. 944 43

p53 mutation is commonly associated with high-grade, high-stage human urothelial carcinomas. Recent studies suggest that p53 mutation in low-grade, low-stage bladder carcinomas may be correlated with the progression of the disease. In the present study, we used antisense RNA methodology in vitro to evaluate the significance of the loss of p53 function at an early stage of urinary bladder carcinogenesis. An immortalized nontumorigenic rat urothelial cell line (MYP3) that strongly expresses wild-type (WT) p53 was transfected with a plasmid (pcDL-SR alpha-296) containing a rat WT p53 cDNA in antisense orientation. The transfection resulted in a significant reduction in p53 mRNA expression and protein synthesis, in stimulation of anchorage-dependent growth, and in acquisition of anchorage-independent growth potential. Three such clones, when tested in athymic nude mice, all formed muscle-invasive, high-grade transitional cell carcinomas at s.c. injection sites. When cells were inoculated into an orthotopic site (urinary bladder), one of two antisense transfectants tested formed bulky tumors in the bladder in all seven nude mice and metastases to lungs in three of the seven mice. Analysis of these cells revealed a decrease in the expression of p21 (WAF1, sdi1, or CIP1) and retinoblastoma (Rb) gene product. Phosphorylation of Rb protein was not inhibited when the cells were starved. No significant difference was observed in the expression of p16 protein. In cell cycle analysis, all antisense transfectants tested escaped from G1 arrest by starvation. Furthermore, secretion of interleukin (IL)-6 into culture medium was increased significantly. Treatment with anti-IL-6 antibody suppressed anchorage-dependent growth. This study directly demonstrates that the loss of p53 function at an early stage of urothelial carcinogenesis may result in acquisition of a malignant phenotype by regulating IL-6 production as well as cell cycle related genes.
Carcinogenesis 1998 Jan
PMID:Antisense RNA-mediated reduction of p53 induces malignant phenotype in nontumorigenic rat urothelial cells. 947 96

Because most non-melanocytic human skin cancers have p53 mutations, it is unclear whether the aberrant growth of these cancers is simply a result of the abrogation of a p53 downstream mediator, the universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1. To investigate the role of p21WAF1 in human skin carcinogenesis, we studied its regulation in normal and p53-mutated immortalized human keratinocytes. In proliferating human normal keratinocytes (HNK), more wild-type p53 protein (wt p53) was expressed than in growth-arrested differentiating keratinocytes. However, the function of wt p53 as a transcriptional activator of the p21WAF1 gene was suppressed in proliferating keratinocytes. In response to ultraviolet B irradiation, expression of wt p53 increased in proliferating keratinocytes, but p21WAF1 transcriptional activation was not induced. Two isoforms of mdm2 (p57 and p90), which can bind to wt p53 and negatively regulate wt p53 function, were expressed in proliferating HNK, suggesting that mdm2 may play a role in the suppression of wt p53's function in proliferating HNK. Increased expression of p21WAF1 was detected in both Ca(2+)-induced growth-arrested and differentiating HNK, in which the wt p53 expression was down regulated. This reflects the complexity of the p53/p21WAF1 pathways of cell-cycle regulation and differentiation in keratinocytes. No p21WAF1 expression was detected in human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) or in two ras-transformed variants, HaCaT ras I/7 and HaCaT ras II/3, which have two p53 mutations. Retrovirus-mediated expression of p21WAF1 stopped the growth of all these cell types, but expression of wt p53 did not affect the cells' growth properties. p21WAF1 also downregulated human telomerase RNA component mRNA expression in HaCaT cells. This novel function of p21WAF1 partly explains the suppression of telomerase activity by p21WAF1 expression in HaCaT. Taken together, these results are consistent with the idea that p21WAF1 successfully inhibits the growth of non-melanocytic skin cancers, even those with alterations in p53, p21ras, retinoblastoma gene product, and telomerase activity.
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PMID:Growth arrest of immortalized human keratinocytes and suppression of telomerase activity by p21WAF1 gene expression. 947 69


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