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)

The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene has been found to be mutated during the development of sporadic colorectal cancers as well as in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). These conditions result from initially somatic and germ line mutations respectively. In both cases, the expressed protein is truncated at its carboxyterminal region. Investigations into the role of wild-type APC have led to a better understanding of the importance of mutations in the genesis and progression of adenomas. APC was shown to regulate cell growth and cell death, to bind beta-catenin, and to colocalize with microtubules. APC truncation was therefore hypothesized to alter cell multiplication and cells are no longer able to undergo apoptosis. Owing to its beta-catenin binding, APC can modify the pool of beta-catenin which is in part utilized in the assembly of adherens junctions and in nuclear signalling. Truncated APC is unable to regulate this pool thereby altering adhesion and cell signalling. Finally, APC involvement in microtubule-dependent locomotion may explain some changes in cell movement which are observed in adenomas. The establishment of murine mutants and of normal and malignant intestinal cell cultures have allowed to assess biochemical and physiological properties of APC and its putative role in the genesis of colorectal carcinogenesis. Moreover, these experimental models have suggested a variety of possible therapeutic approaches.
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PMID:[Current data on the role of APC protein in the origin of colorectal cancer]. 953 87

The physical interaction between beta-catenin and the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, and the ability of APC to regulate cytoplasmic levels of beta-catenin suggest a role for beta-catenin in colorectal carcinogenesis. In this study, we found that beta-catenin immunoreactivity was detected exclusively in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of morphologically normal intestinal epithelial cells with predominant distribution in the differentiated nonproliferative cell population. In contrast, beta-catenin was localized predominantly in the nucleus of adenomas from Min/+ mice and transgenic mice expressing a mutant truncated form of the APC gene (Apc(delta716) mice). Beta-catenin was expressed predominantly at the cell membrane and cytoplasm of the nontransformed rat intestinal epithelial (RIE-1) cells in culture, whereas predominantly nuclear localization of beta-catenin was observed in the human colon cancer cell line SW480. In the azoxymethane (AOM) treated rats, overexpression and nuclear localization of beta-catenin was observed in all adenomas. Previous studies have indicated the incidence of APC mutations amongst AOM-induced tumors to be 15% or less. These results demonstrate that nuclear localization of beta-catenin is a common event in colorectal tumorigenesis.
Carcinogenesis 1998 Apr
PMID:Nuclear translocation of beta-catenin in hereditary and carcinogen-induced intestinal adenomas. 960 Mar 36

DNA mismatch repair is an important mechanism involved in maintaining the fidelity of genomic DNA. Defective DNA mismatch repair is implicated in a variety of gastrointestinal and other tumors; however, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been assessed. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival pathology tissues from 46 primary liver tumors were studied by microdissection and microsatellite analysis of extracted DNA to assess the degree of microsatellite instability, a marker of defective mismatch repair, and to determine the extent and timing of allelic loss of two DNA mismatch repair genes, human Mut S homologue-2 (hMSH2) and human Mut L homologue-1 (hMLH1), and the tumor suppressor genes adenomatous polyposis coli gene (APC), p53, and DPC4. Microsatellite instability was detected in 16 of the tumors (34.8%). Loss of heterozygosity at microsatellites linked to the DNA mismatch repair genes, hMSH2 and/or hMLH1, was found in 9 cases (19.6%), usually in association with microsatellite instability. Importantly, the pattern of allelic loss was uniform in 8 of these 9 tumors, suggesting that clonal loss had occurred. Moreover, loss at these loci also occurred in nonmalignant tissue adjacent to 4 of these tumors, where it was associated with marked allelic heterogeneity. There was relatively infrequent loss of APC, p53, or DPC4 loci that appeared unrelated to loss of hMSH2 or hMLH1 gene loci. Loss of heterozygosity at hMSH2 and/or hMLH1 gene loci, and the associated microsatellite instability in premalignant hepatic tissues suggests a possible causal role in hepatic carcinogenesis in a subset of hepatomas.
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PMID:Microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity at DNA mismatch repair gene loci occurs during hepatic carcinogenesis. 965 1

Evaluation of the role of somatic genetic alterations in cancer development is best performed by examining small tumors in the earlier stages of carcinogenesis. We examined the relationship between allelic deletions of 4 microsatellites linked to the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene and differential histogenetical phenotypes in 34 intramucosal carcinomas of the stomach, of which, structurally, 24 cases were the gland-forming type (so-called "intestinal type") and 10 were the diffuse type. Using mucin and immunohistochemical staining techniques specific for gastric- and intestinal-type mucins, the phenotype of each tumor was histogenetically classified as exclusively gastric, predominantly gastric, predominantly intestinal or exclusively intestinal. There was generally a free combination between structural types and phenotypic mucin expression. Allelic deletions were detected in 6 carcinomas of the exclusively intestinal phenotype. The incidence of allelic deletions was significantly higher in the predominantly and exclusively intestinal phenotypes (6/16, 37.5%) than in the predominantly and exclusively gastric phenotypes (0/18) (p = 0.0060, Fisher's test). Taking the high frequency of allelic deletions in 5q in invasive stomach carcinomas, the present study suggests that genetic alteration in this region is a very early event in stomach carcinomas with intestinal differentiation but a relatively late event in those with gastric differentiation.
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PMID:Intramucosal carcinomas of the stomach: phenotypic expression and loss of heterozygosity at microsatellites linked to the APC gene. 968 49

It has long been known that cell-cell adhesiveness is generally reduced in human cancers. Tumor cells are dissociated throughout the entire tumor masses of diffuse-type cancers, whereas those of solid tumors with high metastatic potentials are often focally dissociated or dedifferentiated at the invading fronts. Thus, both irreversible and reversible mechanisms for inactivating the cell adhesion system appear to exist. This paper focuses on the cadherin system, which mediates Ca2+-dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion. The E (epithelial)-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion system in cancer cells is inactivated by multiple mechanisms corresponding to the pathological features described above. Mutations have been found in the genes for E-cadherin and its undercoat proteins, alpha- and beta-catenins, which connect cadherins to actin filaments and establish firm cell-cell adhesion. Transcriptional inactivation of E-cadherin expression was shown to occur frequently in tumor progression. E-cadherin expression in human cancer cells is regulated by CpG methylation around the promoter region. The cadherin system interacts directly with products of oncogenes, eg, cerbB-2 protein and the epidermal growth factor receptor, and of the tumor suppressor gene, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein, through beta-catenin, which may be important in signal transduction pathways contributing to the determination of the biological properties of human cancers. In conclusion, inactivation of the E-cadherin system by multiple mechanisms, including both genetic and epigenetic events, plays a significant role in multistage carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Inactivation of the E-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion system in human cancers. 970 92

The human EB1 gene product was recently found, by a yeast two-hybrid screening, to be associated with the carboxy terminus of the APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) protein, the product of a tumour-suppressor gene thought to act as a gatekeeper in colorectal carcinogenesis. Because virtually all of the APC mutations result in the synthesis of carboxy-terminal truncated proteins, mutant APC proteins are expected to lose their ability to interact with EB1 gene product. Thus, the interaction between APC and EB1 proteins may be important for the tumour-suppressor activity of APC protein, and raises the hypothesis that EB1 is also involved in sporadic colorectal tumorigenesis. To investigate this hypothesis, somatic mutations in the entire coding sequence of EB1 cDNA were searched by reverse transcriptase single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis in 21 sporadic colorectal cancers and seven adenomas. None of these tumours contained somatic mutation, whereas a silent cDNA variant was identified in 14% of alleles. Furthermore, to investigate whether EB1 locus was included within a region subjected to losses of heterozygosity, four polymorphism markers surrounding EB1 locus were surveyed. Only one out of 28 colorectal tumours contained a loss of heterozygosity at the D20S107 marker. In conclusion, the present findings strongly suggest that EB1 gene is not involved in somatic colorectal carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Absence of somatic alterations of the EB1 gene adenomatous polyposis coli-associated protein in human sporadic colorectal cancers. 982 79

E-cadherin and its associated cytoplasmic proteins alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin, play a crucial role in epithelial cell-cell adhesion and in the maintenance of tissue architecture. Perturbation in the expression or function of any of these molecules results in loss of intercellular adhesion, with possible consequent cell transformation and tumour progression. The catenins are connected to many structural and functional proteins, which in turn influence their functions. Among these molecules are type 1 growth factor receptors, which along with other molecules are believed to alter the function of catenins through tyrosine phosphorylation. A recent finding is the association between the catenins and the adenomatous polyposis coli gene product (APC). APC mutation is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis. It may possibly do so through perturbation of the critical cadherin/catenin complex. Further studies of the cadherin/catenin complex and its connections may give insight into the early molecular interactions critical to the initiation and progression oftumours, which should aid in the development of novel therapeutic strategies for both prevention and treatment.
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PMID:E-cadherin and catenins: molecules with versatile roles in normal and neoplastic epithelial cell biology. 984 Aug

The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene product mediates coordinated cell growth in the intestinal mucosa. In humans, germ-line mutations of APC are associated with colorectal carcinogenesis, a process that varies in severity depending on the length of the protein resulting from the mutant allele. In a previous study of the C57BL/6J-Min/+ (Min/+) mouse, we found that the protein fragment resulting from truncation at codon 850 of murine Apc was associated with changes in enterocyte migration, proliferation, apoptosis, and beta-catenin expression. This effect was reversed upon treatment of Min/+ mice with the chemopreventive drug sulindac sulfide. In this study, we measured enterocyte migration in the Apc1638N mouse, an animal with an Apc mutation that yields no detectable APC protein. We found no difference in enterocyte migration, proliferation, apoptosis, or beta-catenin levels in the Apc1638N mouse when compared to wild-type littermates bearing two normal Apc alleles. Furthermore, administration of sulindac sulfide to Apc1638N mice did not alter enterocyte migration. These observations suggest that a dominant negative effect altering cell migration is exerted by the truncated APC protein present in the Min/+ mouse. These data also suggest that the effectiveness of chemopreventive agents in preventing Apc-related tumor formation may depend on which type of mutation is present.
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PMID:Genotype-phenotype correlation in murine Apc mutation: differences in enterocyte migration and response to sulindac. 1058 10

Both the matrix metalloproteinase matrilysin and the prostaglandin H synthase cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), are thought to play key roles in colorectal carcinogenesis. These enzymes are overexpressed in 85-90% of human colorectal cancers. Furthermore, mice carrying an adenomatous polyposis coli germline mutation that are also nullizygous for either matrilysin or Cox-2 display a significant reduction in tumor multiplicity. To determine if there is a direct link between matrilysin and Cox-2, their expression was characterized in two mouse models of intestinal carcinogenesis and in human colorectal tumor samples. Both matrilysin and Cox-2 expression was increased in the mouse models and in the human colorectal cancers; however, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization indicated that their localization within the tumors was different. In the mouse models, Cox-2 was expressed in the superficial stroma, whereas matrilysin expression was localized exclusively to the neoplastic epithelium. In contrast, in human colorectal cancers, both Cox-2 and matrilysin were expressed in the neoplastic epithelium. Although over 80% of the specimens expressed both matrilysin and Cox-2, the levels and localization of matrilysin and Cox-2 expression were distinct. Cox-2 expression was strongest in well-differentiated areas, and matrilysin immunostaining was strongest in the more dysplastic and invasive regions of the tumor. These results indicate that these two important modulators of colorectal tumorigenesis are differentially expressed and imply that the therapeutic benefit may be improved by combination therapy utilizing selective Cox-2 and matrilysin inhibitors.
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PMID:Differential expression of matrilysin and cyclooxygenase-2 in intestinal and colorectal neoplasms. 1020 2

Protein kinase C betaII (PKC betaII) has been implicated in proliferation of the intestinal epithelium. To investigate PKC betaII function in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress PKC betaII in the intestinal epithelium. Transgenic PKC betaII mice exhibit hyperproliferation of the colonic epithelium and an increased susceptibility to azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci, preneoplastic lesions in the colon. Furthermore, transgenic PKC betaII mice exhibit elevated colonic beta-catenin levels and decreased glycogen synthase kinase 3beta activity, indicating that PKC betaII stimulates the Wnt/adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)/beta-catenin proliferative signaling pathway in vivo. These data demonstrate a direct role for PKC betaII in colonic epithelial cell proliferation and colon carcinogenesis, possibly through activation of the APC/beta-catenin signaling pathway.
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PMID:Overexpression of protein kinase C betaII induces colonic hyperproliferation and increased sensitivity to colon carcinogenesis. 1033 Apr


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