title: Enhanced expression of 14-3-3sigma in pancreatic cancer and its role in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis.
abstract: 14-3-3sigma belongs to the 14-3-3 family of proteins, which are involved in the modulation of diverse signal transduction pathways. Loss of 14-3-3sigma expression has been observed in a number of human cancers, suggesting that it may have a role as a tumor suppressor gene. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression and the functional role of 14-3-3sigma in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Expression of 14-3-3sigma was analyzed using laser capture microdissection (LCM), quantitative real-time-PCR (QRT-PCR), DNA arrays, immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The role of 14-3-3sigma in apoptosis and cell cycle regulation was evaluated by western blotting, immunoprecipitation and FACS analysis. By QRT-PCR, 14-3-3sigma mRNA levels were 54-fold increased in pancreatic adenocarcinoma in comparison with normal pancreatic samples and localized in pancreatic cancer cells as determined by LCM. In pancreatic cancer cells, the degree of 14-3-3sigma expression was not decisive for the maintenance of G(2)/M cell cycle checkpoint or induction of apoptosis. Responses to radiation or apoptosis-inducing agents were neither accompanied by a significant 14-3-3sigma accumulation nor by a change in association of 14-3-3sigma with cdc2, bad and bax. In conclusion, the marked over-expression of 14-3-3sigma in PADC together with multiple known genetic and epigenetic alterations of potential 14-3-3sigma interacting partners suggests an important role of aberrant 14-3-3sigma downstream signaling in pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guweidhi
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kleeff
authors.forename: Nathalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.forename: Jamael
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: El Fitori
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ketterer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.forename: Markus W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Büchler
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korc
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friess
mesh_terms: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002453:Cell Cycle; D005092:Exonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005095:Exoribonucleases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein
chemical_list: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; C494819:BAD protein, human; C494826:BAX protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase; D005092:Exonucleases; D005095:Exoribonucleases; C413442:SFN protein, human