title: Identification and characterization of a phytoestrogen-specific gene from the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell.
abstract: Phytoestrogens are a group of compounds present in human diet that display estrogenic-like properties. Several studies have demonstrated that populations who consume large quantities of phytoestrogens have a reduced risk of estrogen-dependent cancers. Although it has been shown that certain phytoestrogens modulate estrogen action, their biological role in cancer reduction remains unclear. Through the use of differential display reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and representational difference analysis of cDNA, we have identified several phytoestrogen-responsive genes from the human breast cancer cell MCF-7. Two of these genes, PE-13.1 and pRDA-D, have been characterized in greater detail in this study. These genes were not previously known to be regulated by phytoestrogen or estradiol. PE-13.1 is a novel gene that specifies the coding of a 1.10-kb mRNA transcript. Northern blot analysis confirmed that the PE-13.1 transcript is up-regulated by phytoestrogens (Genistein, sevenfold; Zearalenone, twofold) and is nonresponsive to estradiol. Conversely, the pRDA-D transcript was down-regulated by both phytoestrogens and estradiol. The antiestrogen ICI-182,780 inhibits the expression of PE-13.1 and reverses the inhibition of pRDA-D expression induced by phytoestrogens and estradiol. Analysis of the tissue distribution of PE-13.1 transcript by RNA blot reveals that this transcript is expressed in both normal and tumor tissues. This report demonstrates for the first time the presence of two phytoestrogen-responsive genes that may be used as molecular markers in understanding the role dietary estrogen plays in cancer prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA 70813, USA.
authors.forename: Lakshmi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramanathan
authors.forename: Wesley G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D052138:Genes, Neoplasm; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015025:Zearalenone; D019833:Genistein