title: DNA methylation and histone modification regulate silencing of epithelial cell adhesion molecule for tumor invasion and progression.
abstract: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM) is believed to have a critical role in carcinogenesis and cell proliferation. However, the association of Ep-CAM with cancer invasion and progression is less clear. We found that Ep-CAM was highly expressed on low-invasive cells compared with highly invasive cells. Forced expression of Ep-CAM decreased cancer invasiveness, and silencing Ep-CAM expression elevated cancer invasiveness. Ep-CAM expression was associated with promoter methylation. Treatment with a demethylating agent, and/or the histone deacetylase inhibitor reactivated Ep-CAM expression in Ep-CAM-negative cells and inhibited cancer invasiveness. Using a promoter-reporter construct, we demonstrated methylation of the promoter fragment drive Ep-CAM-silenced transcription. Additionally, silenced Ep-CAM gene in cancer cells was enriched for hypermethylated histone 3 lysine 9. When unmethylated and active, this promoter was associated with acetylated histone 3 lysine 9. Furthermore, we observed an increased association of Ep-CAM promoter with repression components as tumor invasiveness increased. In cancer tissues, Ep-CAM expression significantly correlated with tumor progression and associated with promoter methylation. Our data support the idea that modulation of Ep-CAM plays a pivotal role in tumor invasion and progression. Moreover, aberrant DNA methylation of Ep-CAM is implicated in enhancing invasive/metastatic proclivity of tumors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: K-Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: S-G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Shiah
authors.forename: Y-S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shieh
authors.forename: Y-R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: H-S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: L-C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: P-C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: C-W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018450:Disease Progression; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D034622:RNA Interference; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C499379:EPCAM protein, human; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D006657:Histones; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008156:Luciferases