title: Hath1 up-regulates gastric mucin gene expression in gastric cells.
abstract: The Notch signaling pathway is known to mediate the differentiation and fate specification of cells in embryonic stage and adult tissues. Several tumors exhibit aberrant expression of Notch signaling component genes, such as Notch1/2/3 and Hath1. In this study, we investigated the mRNA expression of seven Notch-related genes, Notch1/2/3, Hes1/2/3, and Hath1, and then compared it with the expression of gastric mucin genes, MUC5AC and MUC6, in eight gastric cancer (GC) cell lines. Notch1/2/3 and Hes1 were expressed in most GC cell lines as well as normal gastric mucosae, while Hes2/3 were expressed in neither these cell lines nor the normal stomach. As for Hath1, five GC cell lines exhibited undetectable levels, while normal gastric mucosa expressed Hath1. The expression patterns of Hath1 and MUC6 were closely related in most GC cell lines. Many MUC5AC-positive cases also tended to show Hath1 expression. Over-expression of Math1, a mouse Hath1 homolog, in the GC cells strongly enhanced both the MUC6 and MUC5AC mRNA levels. Moreover, knockdown of Hath1 by means of RNA interference significantly decreased the expression of both mucin genes. These data indicate that Hath1 is one of the transcriptional regulators for MUC6 and MUC5AC in GC cells. It is also possible that loss of Hath1 expression may play a role in gastric carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Yoshimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuasa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005752:Gastric Mucins / Q000235:genetics*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055272:Mucin-6; D009077:Mucins / Q000235:genetics*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D005752:Gastric Mucins; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055272:Mucin-6; D009077:Mucins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D014157:Transcription Factors; C500942:ATOH1 protein, human; C500943:Atoh1 protein, mouse; C524678:MUC5AC protein, human; C524734:MUC6 protein, human; C524679:Muc5ac protein, mouse; C524735:Muc6 protein, mouse