Translation termination and protein folding pathway genes are not correlated in gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
The eukaryotic release factor 3 (eRF3) has been shown to affect both tubulin and actin cytoskeleton, suggesting a role in cytoskeleton assembly, mitotic spindle formation and chromosome segregation. Also, direct interactions between eRF3 and subunits of the cytosolic chaperonin CCT have been described. Moreover, both eRF3a and CCT subunits have been described to be up-regulated in cancer tissues. Our aim was to evaluate the hypothesis that eRF3 expression levels are correlated with the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in the tubulin folding pathways.


METHODS
Relative expression levels of eRF1, eRF3a/GSPT1, PFDN4, CCT2, CCT4, and TBCA genes in tumour samples relative to their adjacent normal tissues were investigated using real time-polymerase chain reaction in 20 gastric cancer patients.


RESULTS
The expression levels of eRF3a/GSPT1 were not correlated with the expression levels of the other genes studied. However, significant correlations were detected between the other genes, both within intestinal and diffuse type tumours.


CONCLUSIONS
eRF3a/GSPT1 expression at the mRNA level is independent from both cell translation rates and from the expression of the genes involved in tubulin-folding pathways. The differences in the patterns of expression of the genes studied support the hypothesis of genetically independent pathways in the origin of intestinal and diffuse type gastric tumours.
Malta-Vacas
Joana
J
Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
Nolasco
Sofia
S
Monteiro
Carolino
C
Soares
Helena
H
Brito
Miguel
M
D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D017510:Protein Folding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D012333:RNA, Messenger