title: Pediatric brain tumors: mutations of two dioxygenases (hABH2 and hABH3) that directly repair alkylation damage.
abstract: Alkylating agents, commonly used for brain tumor therapy, induce DNA and RNA lesions that, if not repaired, drive cells to apoptosis. Thus, cellular mechanisms that are responsible for nucleic acid repair are possibly involved in drug resistance. This work analyzes hABH2 and hABH3, two human Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases in pediatric brain tumors that are treated with alkylating agents. We analyzed 25 brain tumor samples for hABH2 and hABH3 mutations; a subset of samples was tested for quantitative expression with Real-Time PCR. Sequencing analysis showed two new mutations in two glioma patients, one of hABH2 coding sequence (I141 V) and the other of hABH3 (D189 N). The mutation at codon 189 falls in a crucial region of the protein. All subjects analyzed by Real-Time PCR showed an enhanced expression of the two genes, particularly of hABH2. This is the first study of hABH2 and hABH3 in pediatric brain tumors; further molecular investigations of their mutations and expression may help determine their role in response to chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Onco-Hematology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Florence Medical School, A. Meyer Children's Hospital, viale Pieraccini 24, 50139, Florence, Italy. v.cetica@meyer.it
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cetica
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Genitori
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giunti
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanzo
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernini
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massimino
authors.forename: Iacopo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sardi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000071499:AlkB Homolog 2, Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase; D000071500:AlkB Homolog 3, Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase; D000478:Alkylation; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics*; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D049308:Dioxygenases / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D049308:Dioxygenases; C486439:ALKBH3 protein, human; D000071500:AlkB Homolog 3, Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase; C486440:ALKBH2 protein, human; D000071499:AlkB Homolog 2, Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase; D045643:DNA Repair Enzymes