title: Expression and clinical significance of the autophagy proteins BECLIN 1 and LC3 in ovarian cancer.
abstract: Autophagy is dysregulated in cancer and might be involved in ovarian carcinogenesis. BECLIN-1, a protein that interacts with either BCL-2 or PI3k class III, plays a critical role in the regulation of both autophagy and cell death. Induction of autophagy is associated with the presence of vacuoles characteristically labelled with the protein LC3. We have studied the biological and clinical significance of BECLIN 1 and LC3 in ovary tumours of different histological types. The positive expression of BECLIN 1 was well correlated with the presence of LC3-positive autophagic vacuoles and was inversely correlated with the expression of BCL-2. The latter inhibits the autophagy function of BECLIN 1. We found that type I tumours, which are less aggressive than type II, were more frequently expressing high level of BECLIN 1. Of note, tumours of histologic grade III expressed low level of BECLIN 1. Consistently, high level of expression of BECLIN 1 and LC3 in tumours is well correlated with the overall survival of the patients. The present data are compatible with the hypotheses that a low level of autophagy favours cancer progression and that ovary cancer with upregulated autophagy has a less aggressive behaviour and is more responsive to chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy Pathology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Nanobioimaging, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4903-6878
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morani
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy Pathology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy ; Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Nanobioimaging, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicotra
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy Pathology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9101-9131
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Nanobioimaging, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peracchio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Nanobioimaging, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1528-331X
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Titone
authors.affiliation: Unit of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3635-1710
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alabiso
authors.affiliation: A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino Presidio O.I.R.M-Sant'Anna Hospital, Corso Spezia No. 60, 10126 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arisio
authors.affiliation: A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino Presidio O.I.R.M-Sant'Anna Hospital, Corso Spezia No. 60, 10126 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Dyonissios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katsaros
authors.affiliation: Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sant'Anna Hospital, University of Torino, Corso Spezia No. 60, 10126 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benedetto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Nanobioimaging, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5494-3034
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Isidoro
mesh_terms: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001343:Autophagy; D000071186:Beclin-1; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; C477012:MAP1LC3A protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins