Infrequent amplification of JUN in hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether JUN (the oncogene encoding c-Jun protein) is amplified and overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
DNA copy number aberrations were investigated using a high-density oligonucleotide microarray. DNA copy numbers were determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Genomic DNA and mRNA were quantified using real-time quantitative PCR.


RESULTS
A novel amplification was found at the chromosomal region 1p32-31 in a JHH-2 HCC cell line within which JUN is amplified and overexpressed. However, no copy number gain of JUN (>2-fold) was observed in 34 primary HCC tumors. Rather, a loss of JUN (<0.5-fold) was seen in 13 (38%) out of the 34 tumors and expression of JUN was significantly lower in 26 (70%) out of the 37 HCC tumors compared with their nontumorous counterparts.


CONCLUSIONS
Although JUN was amplified and overexpressed in JHH-2 HCC cells, amplification and overexpression of JUN may be rare in primary HCCs.
Endo
Mio
M
Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.
Yasui
Kohichiroh
K
Nakajima
Tomoaki
T
Gen
Yasuyuki
Y
Tsuji
Kazuhiro
K
Dohi
Osamu
O
Zen
Keika
K
Mitsuyoshi
Hironori
H
Minami
Masahito
M
Itoh
Yoshito
Y
Taniwaki
Masafumi
M
Tanaka
Shinji
S
Arii
Shigeki
S
Okanoue
Takeshi
T
Yoshikawa
Toshikazu
T
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 / Q000235:genetics; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018628:Gene Dosage; D016758:Genes, jun; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured