Imprinted genes are up-regulated by growth arrest in embryonic fibroblasts.
It was previously reported that the imprinted insulin-like growth factor II and H19 genes are up-regulated in embryonic fibroblasts upon growth arrest. We have examined six other imprinted genes and found that all were up-regulated upon confluency and at least four of them by serum starvation. The significance of the results was confirmed by demonstrating that only one-third of randomly selected genes are up-regulated upon confluency. Our findings suggest that the cell cycle should be carefully controlled when imprinted genes are studied in cell cultures. Moreover, the unique property could have significance in the mechanistic or the evolutionary aspect of imprinting or both.
Hayashida
T
T
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
Eversole-Cire
P
P
Jones
P A
PA
Sasaki
H
H
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D018392:Genomic Imprinting / Q000502:physiology*; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*
D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; C094335:H19 long non-coding RNA; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II