Expression of LUN gene that encodes a novel RING finger protein is correlated with development and progression of non-small cell lung cancer.
LUN is a novel RING finger protein that is highly expressed in the lung and might be a transcriptional regulator of E-cadherin [J. Biol. Chem. 276 (2001) 14004]. It might be possible that LUN plays important roles in the development and progression of lung cancer through regulating expression of E-cadherin, but no clinical study on LUN expression has been reported. In the present study, we quantitatively examined gene expression of the LUN in surgical specimens resected from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. In normal lung tissues, the LUN gene expression was down-regulated in smokers (the mean LUN/GAPDH ratios, 0.222 for non-smokers and 0.144 for smokers; P = 0.030). In addition, the mean LUN/GAPDH ratio in lung cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in normal lung tissues (0.072 versus 0.162; P < 0.001). In addition, the LUN gene expression was slightly down-regulated along with progression of primary tumors, and strongly down-regulated along with nodal metastases (the mean LUN/GAPDH ratios, 0.091 for pN0, 0.073 for pN1, and 0.034 for pN2 diseases; P = 0.001). These results suggested that LUN might play important roles in inhibition of nodal metastases as well as in suppression of smoking-related oncogenesis in NSCLC.
Oyanagi
Hiroki
H
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Shogoin-kawahara-cho 54, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Takenaka
Kazumasa
K
Ishikawa
Shinya
S
Kawano
Yozo
Y
Adachi
Yoshifumi
Y
Ueda
Kunihiro
K
Wada
Hiromi
H
Tanaka
Fumihiro
F
D000368:Aged; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D015820:Cadherins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C120157:TOPORS protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I