Gene-specific methylation: potential markers for colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Aberrant methylation of the promoter region is associated with silencing of many genes in neoplasia. CpG island methylation is an epigenetic mechanism for transcriptional silencing that occurs at various stages of colon tumorigenesis. In this study, we tested the promoter methylation and expression of seven genes from various pathways of DNA repair, apoptosis and inflammation, i.e., sFRP1, MLH1, RASSF1A, CDA, v-fgr, LYN-B, and TNFR10d.


METHODS
The genes were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the level of gene expression. The promoter methylation status of the genes was studied by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
The correlation of promoter methylation status with suppressed gene expression patterns suggested a potential role for the silencing these genes in colon cancer progression.


CONCLUSIONS
Promoter methylations of the studied genes could be explored as promising biomarkers for new diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets of colorectal cancer.
Prabhu
Jyothi S
JS
Triesta Sciences (I) Private Limited, Sampangiram Nagar, Bangalore, India.
Korlimarla
Aruna
A
Banerjee
Arindam
A
Wani
Shivangi
S
K
Payal
P
Sahoo
Rashmita
R
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D053319:Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000235:genetics
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C501486:MLH1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C411762:RASSF1 protein, human; C451501:TNFRSF10D protein, human; D053319:Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C060902:lyn protein-tyrosine kinase; D019061:src-Family Kinases; C576597:ATR protein, human; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1