Inverse correlation between cyclin A1 hypermethylation and p53 mutation in head and neck cancer identified by reversal of epigenetic silencing.

Abstract

Aberrant promoter hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes is proposed to be a common feature of primary cancer cells. We recently developed a pharmacological unmasking microarray approach to screen unknown tumor suppressor gene candidates epigenetically silenced in human cancers. In this study, we applied this method to identify such genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We identified 12 novel methylated genes in HNSCC cell lines, including PGP9.5, cyclin A1, G0S2, bone-morphogenetic protein 2A, MT1G, and neuromedin U, which showed frequent promoter hypermethylation in primary HNSCC (60%, 45%, 35%, 25%, 25%, and 20%, respectively). Moreover, we discovered that cyclin A1 methylation was inversely related to p53 mutational status in primary tumors (P = 0.015), and forced expression of cyclin A1 resulted in robust induction of wild-type p53 in HNSCC cell lines. Pharmacological unmasking followed by microarray analysis is a powerful tool to identify key methylated tumor suppressor genes and relevant pathways.

• Authors: Yutaka Tokumaru, Keishi Yamashita, Motonobu Osada, Shuji Nomoto, Dong-Il Sun, Yan Xiao, Mohammad Obaidul Hoque, William H Westra, Joseph A Califano, David Sidransky
• Journal: Cancer research (Cancer Res) Vol. 64 Issue 17 Pg. 5982-7 (Sep 01 2004) ISSN: 0008-5472 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15342377 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• CCNA1 protein, human
• Cyclin A
• Cyclin A1
• Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

Topics

• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (genetics)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cyclin A (genetics)
• Cyclin A1
• DNA Methylation
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (genetics)
• Gene Silencing
• Head and Neck Neoplasms (genetics)
• Humans
• Mutation
• Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis (methods)
• Promoter Regions, Genetic
• Transfection
• Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 (genetics)