LOH at chromosome 9q34.3 and the Notch1 gene methylation are less involved in oral squamous cell carcinomas.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies of oral carcinomas have shown that both loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and hypermethylation at chromosome 9q33 to 9q34.2 are frequent. The present study investigates the frequency of Notch1 gene methylation and LOH at 9q34.3 region.


METHODS
Gene promoter hypermethylation of the Notch1 gene was analysed by methylation-specific PCR and LOH was analysed using microsatellite markers.


RESULTS
We found LOH at 9q34.3 in three patients and methylation of the Notch1 gene only in two patients with oral carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Comparing with the alterations at 9q33 to 34.2 regions, LOH at 9q34.3 and methylation of the Notch1 gene was less involved in oral squamous cell carcinomas.
Gao
Shan
S
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus C, Denmark. shg@mb.au.dk
Krogdahl
Annelise
A
Eiberg
Hans
H
Liu
Chung-Ji
CJ
Sørensen
Jens Ahm
JA
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002899:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 / Q000235:genetics*; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016615:Telomere
D051881:Receptor, Notch1