[Transcriptional activities of human fatty acid synthase promoter in breast cancer cells].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the transcriptional activities of human fatty acid synthase (FAS) promoter in breast cancer cell lines and normal fibroblast cell line in order to provide some theoretical evidence for the targeted therapy of breast cancer.


METHODS
The expression of FAS protein in three breast cancer cell lines (SKBR3, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and normal fibroblast cell line NIH3T3 was examined by Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence assay. The recombinant luciferase reporter vectors pGL3-FAS, pGL3-cerbB2 and pGL3-midkine were constructed and their relative transcriptional activities in SKBR3, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and NIH3T3 cell lines were analyzed.


RESULTS
FAS protein was expressed in all the three breast cancer cell lines with different levels (SKBR3>MCF-7>MDA-MB-231), but its expression in NIH3T3 was not detected. FAS protein was localized primarily in cytosol. FAS promoter showed relatively high transcriptional activities in breast cancer cell lines which were obviously higher than SV40 promoter and midkine promoter, but it showed little/no in transcriptional activities NIH3T3 cells. The transcriptional activity of FAS promoter was comparable to that of cerbB2 promoter in SKBR3 cells, but it was significantly higher than that in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines.


CONCLUSIONS
FAS promoter can drive therapeutic gene in a wider range of human breast cancers than cerbB2 promoter and it exhibits a stronger activity than midkine promoter. It may serve as a useful tool for transcriptional target of breast cancer gene therapy.
Chen
Yan
Y
Department of Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China. chenyan@fmmu.edu.cn
Liu
Wen-chao
WC
Qin
Hong-yan
HY
Han
Hua
H
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000235:genetics*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases