Analysis of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)- and Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS)-regulated gene expression patterns.
OBJECTIVE
Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a progressive, degenerative, complex autosomal recessive disease characterized by cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, premature aging, radiosensitivity, and a predisposition to cancer. Mutations in the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (atm) gene, which phosphorylates downstream effector proteins, are linked to A-T. One of the proteins phosphorylated by the ATM protein is Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome protein (NBS, p95/nibrin), which was recently shown to be encoded by a gene mutated in the Nijmegen breakage syndrome (nbs), an autosomal recessive disease with a phenotype virtually similar to that of A-T. The similarities in the clinical and cellular features of NBS and A-T have led us to hypothesize that the two corresponding gene products may function in similar ways in the cellular signaling pathway. Thus, we sought to identify genes whose expression is mediated by the atm and nbs gene products.


METHODS
To identify genes, we performed an analysis of oligonucleotide microarrays using the appropriate cell lines, isogenic A-T (ATM-) and control cells (ATM+), and isogenic NBS (NBS-) and control cells (NBS+).


RESULTS
We examined genes regulated by ATM and NBS, respectively. To determine the effect of ATM and NBS on gene expression in detail, we classified these genes into different functional categories, including those involved in apoptosis, cell cycle/DNA replication, growth/differentiation, signal transduction, cell-cell adhesion, and metabolism. In addition, we compared the genes regulated by the ATM and NBS to determine the relationship of their signaling pathways and to better understand their functional relationship.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that, while ATM and NBS regulate several genes in common, both of these proteins also have distinct patterns of gene regulation, findings consistent with the functional overlap and distinctiveness of these two conditions. Due to the role of ATM and NBS in tumor suppression and the response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, these findings may assist in the development of a more rational approach to cancer treatment, as well as a better understanding of tumorigenesis.
Jang
Eun Ryoung
ER
National Cancer Center, 809 Madu-dong, Ilsan-gu, 411-764, Goyang, Gyeonggi, Korea.
Lee
Joo Hyen
JH
Lim
Dae-Sik
DS
Lee
Jong-Soo
JS
D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019457:Chromosome Breakage / Q000235:genetics; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C112156:NBN protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C576324:ATM protein, human; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases