The possible role of apoptosis-suppressing genes, bcl-2 and mcl-1/EAT in human adrenal tumors.
The expression levels of bcl-2, mcl-1/EAT, and bax were examined by Northern blot analysis and semi-quantitative RT-PCR method in 25 adrenal tumors, including seven adrenal pheochromocytomas (PHE), seven aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA), four adrenal cortisol-producing adenomas (CS), one deoxycorticosterone-producing adenoma (DOC) and six non-hyperfunctioning adrenal cortical adenomas (NF). Northern blot analysis revealed both bcl-2 and mcl-1/EAT mRNAs in all of the adrenal tumors. The expression levels differed greatly among the tumor samples. Mcl-1/EAT mRNA levels were enhanced in APA and CS compared with those in NF. In contrast, bcl-2 levels in NF were higher than in other tumors. Our results suggest that deregulation of such apoptosis-suppressing genes may contribute to the multistep tumorigenesis of human adrenal tumors and that mcl-1/EAT, one of the bcl-2 family genes, has a different role from that of bcl-2 in such pathways.
Ando
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine and Health Center, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Shibata
H
H
Suzuki
T
T
Kurihara
I
I
Hayashi
K
K
Hayashi
M
M
Saito
I
I
Kawabe
H
H
Tsujioka
M
M
Saruta
T
T
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D016153:Genes, Suppressor / Q000502:physiology*; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein