title: The Study of DNA Methylation of bax Gene Promoter in Breast and Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Lines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Bcl-2 protein family members have known as essential controllersof mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Bax has been implicated as potential tumor suppressor in certain solid tumors such as breast and colorectal carcinoma. DNA methylation of promoter associated CpG islands has known as a common mechanism for gene inactivation in tumor cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Methylation Specific PCR (MSP) has used to find the methylation profile of the bax gene promoter CpG islands in colorectal and breast cancer cell lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have not detected any kind of "CpG islands hypermethylation" in promoter region of the bax gene in T47D, MCF7 (as ER positive), MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 (as ER negative) breast carcinoma-derived cell lines and colorectal cancer cell lines H29 and Caco II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that CpG island methylation could not play the main role in down-regulation of bax gene in breast and colon cancers.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alipour
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Jalal
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zargar
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahrokh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Safarian
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shamileh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fouladdel
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Biotechnology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azizi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jafargholizadeh
keywords: Breast cancer; Colorectal cancer; CpG island; DNA methylations; Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)