title: Effect of promoter methylation of the p16 gene on phosphorylation of retinoblastoma gene product and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
abstract: The biological significance of hypermethylation of p16 gene promoter in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells remains to resolved. In order to clarify the significance of methylation of p16 gene promoter, we examined the methylation status of p16 gene in association with phosphorylation of retinoblastoma gene product (pRb) and cell growth in human HCC cell lines. The presence of methylation was examined by methylation-specific PCR. Expression and phosphorylation of p16 and pRb were examined by Western blot analysis. Genetic changes were analyzed by multiplex PCR and DNA sequencing. The effect of demethylation of p16 was assessed by cell growth. p16 gene promoter was methylated in HuH7 and HLF cells. The demethylating agent, 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR), upregulated p16 mRNA in HuH6 and HuH7 cells. 5-Aza-CdR increased p16 protein expression in HuH6, HuH7, and HLF cells, and it clearly decreased the phosphorylation level of pRb in HuH6, HuH7 and PLC/PRF/5 cells. Treatment with 5-Aza-CdR inhibited the growth of HuH7 cells. Homozygous deletion and significant mutations were absent. Methylation in the p16 promoter region is biologically significant, being associated with phosphorylation of pRb and cell growth in human HCC cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine and Clinical Science, Department of Multidisciplinary Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeta
authors.forename: Goshi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shiota
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murawaki
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D019942:Genes, p16; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein