title: P73 gene expression in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines.
abstract: Thep73 gene, a homology of p53, is a new candidate of imprinting and tumor suppressor gene. To investigate the role of p73 in ovarian cancer, we studied the allelic expression in 56 cases of ovarian cancer using StyI polymorphism analysis. We also examined p73 expression by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR as well as by Western blot analysis and DNA methylation study of the CpG island in exon 1 in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. Loss of heterozygosity was found in 8.3% (2 of 24) of the cases. Biallelic expression was demonstrated in 91.7% (22 of 24) of the tumor samples, in 70.8% (17 of 24) of the normal samples, and in 1 ovarian cancer cell line. Imbalanced expression and monoallelic expression were found in three and two pairs of matched samples, respectively. Overexpression of p73 was found in advanced ovarian cancer rather than in early-stage disease or in borderline ovarian tumor. No significant difference was found in the p53 expression. Three cell lines with absent p73 protein expression and one tumor sample with monoallelic expression were methylated in the CpG island. Demethylation in SKOV3 cell line using 5-azacytidine can reactivate the expression of this gene in both the mRNA and the protein level. Our results indicated that p73 was not imprinted in most of the ovarian cancer and normal tissues, but it could be involved in the advanced ovarian cancer through overexpression. DNA methylation may contribute to the lack of p73 expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ngan
mesh_terms: D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism; D000483:Alleles; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism; D018899:CpG Islands; D018282:Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism; D018293:Cystadenoma, Serous / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000606460:TP73 protein, human; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins