[Intrusion of male epigenome regulators in somatic cancer cells].
In healthy cells, several epigenetic mechanisms ensure structural and functional differentiation of the genome, and are necessary for the transcriptional silencing of most of the genome while a few genes, specific for each tissue type, are activated. Cell transformation disturbs this organization and induces the aberrant repression or activation of many genes. Whereas the transcriptional silencing of some critical cell regulators clearly contributes to cell malignant transformation, the oncogenic role of the illegitimate activation of tissue-specific genes in cancerous and pre-cancerous cells is still poorly known. This review aims to demonstrate the oncogenic potential of the illegitimate expression, in somatic cells, of genes, whose expression is normally restricted to male germ cells, encoding factors known as cancer testis or C/T, and particularly those involved in re-organizing the epigenome in these cells. The value of these genes, and of the factors they encode, in terms of cancer markers and promissing therapeutic targets will also be stressed.
Rousseaux
Sophie
S
Equipe épigénétique et signalisation cellulaire. Inserm U823, Institut Albert Bonniot, Grenoble, F-38706 France. sophie.rousseaux@ujf-grenoble.fr
Reynoird
Nicolas
N
Gaucher
Jonathan
J
Khochbin
Saadi
S
D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology