title: Overexpression of choline kinase is a frequent feature in human tumor-derived cell lines and in lung, prostate, and colorectal human cancers.
abstract: Carcinogenesis is a long process that results in the accumulation of genetic alterations primarily in genes involved in the regulation of signalling pathways relevant for the regulation of cell growth and the cell cycle. Alteration of additional genes regulating cell adhesion and migration, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and drug resistance confers to the cancer cells a more malignant phenotype. Genes that participate in the regulation of some critical metabolic pathways are also altered during this process. Choline kinase (ChoK) has been reported to belong to the latter family of cancer-related genes. Recently, we have reported that increased activity of ChoK is observed in human breast carcinomas. Here, we provide further evidence that ChoK dysregulation is a frequent event found in a variety of human tumors such as lung, colorectal, and prostate tumors. Furthermore, a large panel of human tumor-derived cell lines also show increased ChoK activity when compared to appropriate non-tumorigenic or primary cells. These findings strongly support the role of ChoK alterations in the carcinogenic process in human tumors, suggesting that ChoK could be used as a tumor marker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramírez de Molina
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-González
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martínez-Piñeiro
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonilla
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosell
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lacal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002797:Choline Kinase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003106:Colon / Q000201:enzymology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011467:Prostate / Q000201:enzymology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002797:Choline Kinase