title: Drg-1 as a differentiation-related, putative metastatic suppressor gene in human colon cancer.
abstract: A gene related to cell differentiation was identified by differential display as a candidate suppressor of metastases in colon cancer. This gene, with a full-length cDNA of 3 kb, is expressed in normal colon and primary colon cancer tissues and cell lines but not in their metastatic counterparts. A GenBank search found that it is identical to a recently cloned gene, differentiation-related gene-1 (Drg-1), isolated from differentiated HT-29 colon cancer cells. Stable transfection of the SW620 metastatic colon cancer cell line with Drg-1 cDNA induced morphological changes consistent with differentiation and up-regulated the expression of several colonic epithelial cell differentiation markers (alkaline phosphatase, carcinoembryonic antigen, and E-cadherin). Moreover, the expression of Drg-1 is controlled by several known cell differentiation reagents, such as ligands of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (troglitazone and BRL46593) and of retinoid X receptor (LG268), and histone deacetylase inhibitors (trichostatin A, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, and tributyrin). A synergistic induction of Drg-1 expression was seen with the combination of tributyrin and a low dose of 5'-aza-2'-dexoycytidine (100 nM), an inhibitor of DNA methylation. Functional studies revealed that overexpression of Drg-1 in metastatic colon cancer cells reduced in vitro invasion through Matrigel and suppressed in vivo liver metastases in nude mice. We propose that Drg-1 suppresses colon cancer metastasis by inducing colon cancer cell differentiation and partially reversing the metastatic phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Pardee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000502:physiology; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000502:physiology; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000099259:N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 Protein
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099259:N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 Protein