Analysis of gene expression profile in colon cancer using the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project and RNA interference.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes in the gene expression profile in colon cancer to further identify gene markers that may be useful in the management of this disease.


METHODS
Data from serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) collected by the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP) were used to detect the difference in gene expression between normal tissue and colon cancer, and were further confirmed in a sample of 20 patients using RT-PCR. To identify the functions of differential genes in regulating the cell growth of colon cancer, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to block one of these genes in the colon cancer cell line HCT-116.


RESULTS
Expression changes of greater than twofold in two SAGE libraries of colon cancer compared to two of normal tissue were observed for 216 tags of a total of 195,160 transcript tags (54 up-regulated genes and 136 down-regulated genes). Subsequent analysis of 17 genes by RT-PCR confirmed the reliability of this analysis. RNAi-mediated blockage of one of these genes, transforming growth factor (TGF)beta1, significantly reduced the growth of a colon cancer cell line.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of CGAP analysis and RNAi provides an excellent system to rapidly define the specific genes that are up-regulated in cancer to impact the growth of cancer cells. Further study on these differential overexpressed genes may provide gene markers for the detection and treatment of colon cancer.
Huang
Zhi Gang
ZG
Shanghai Institute of Digestive Diseases, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Ran
Zhi Hua
ZH
Lu
Wei
W
Xiao
Shu Dong
SD
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015698:Genomic Library; D016045:Human Genome Project; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D034622:RNA Interference; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1