title: JunB gene expression is inactivated by methylation in chronic myeloid leukemia.
abstract: JunB is a component of the Jun family genes of the activating protein-1 transcription factors that are important in the control of cell growth and differentiation and neoplastic transformation. Recently, it was demonstrated that transgenic mice specifically lacking JunB expression in the myeloid lineage developed a myeloproliferative disease, eventually progressing to blast crisis that resembled human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). To gain further insights into the role of JunB in human CML, we examined peripheral blood from 17 healthy individuals and CML patients (11 in blastic crisis and 21 in chronic phase) by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis for the expression of JunB. The results showed the expression levels of JunB were significantly impaired in CML cases (blastic crisis < chronic phase < normal). Mutational analysis of the whole gene and methylation analysis of cytosine-phosphate guanosine (CpG) sites at the promoter area were further performed to investigate the possible mechanisms. However, no mutation was found within the coding region or the 9 flanking evolutionarily conserved regions in all CML cases. Interestingly, in the promoter area of JunB gene, most of the CpG sites were methylated in CML cases; in contrast, none of these CpG sites were methylated in normal cases. Demethylation by treatment of hypermethylated K562 cells with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine resulted in partial reactivation of JunB expression. Our results suggest that the down-regulated JunB expression in CML was due to the inactivation of JunB gene by methylation and the differential expression was correlated to the ratio of cells being methylated.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Yu
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ta-Chih
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jan-Gowth
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Pai-Mei
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Sheng-Fung
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001374:Azacitidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003199:Computer Systems; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D000077209:Decitabine; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic / Q000187:drug effects; D016758:Genes, jun; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D000077209:Decitabine; D001374:Azacitidine