title: Methylation of ASC/TMS1, a proapoptotic gene responsible for activating procaspase-1, in human colorectal cancer.
abstract: ASC/TMS1, a proapoptotic activator of procaspase-1, was reported to be aberrantly methylated in human breast cancer. We found that ASC was methylated in three of five human colon cancer cell lines lacking ASC protein expression. Demethylation treatment of these cell lines lacking ASC with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine partially restored ASC expression. Methylated ASC was also detected in six of ten colorectal cancer tissues. Although clear down-regulation of ASC in the whole region of a tumor tissue was hardly observed by immunostaining with anti-ASC mAb, complete suppression of ASC was identified in a minor population of the colorectal tumor cells. The biological significance of ASC methylation inducible ASC suppression in colorectal cancer will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute on Aging and Adaptation, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Asahi 3-1-1, Nagano, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sagara
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Masumoto
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeoka
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komiyama
authors.forename: Kazunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Shun'ichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020170:Caspase 1; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013447:Sulfites / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; C402202:PYCARD protein, human; D011506:Proteins; D013447:Sulfites; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; D020169:Caspases; D020170:Caspase 1; D001374:Azacitidine; C009279:sodium bisulfite