title: Involvement of epigenetic modifiers in the pathogenesis of testicular dysgenesis and germ cell cancer.
abstract: Testicular germ cell cancer manifests mainly in young adults as a seminoma or non-seminoma. The solid tumors are preceded by the presence of a non-invasive precursor cell, the carcinoma in situ cell (CIS), which shows great similarity to fetal germ cells. It is therefore hypothesized that the CIS cell is a fetal germ cell that has been arrested during development due to testicular dysgenesis. CIS cells retain a fetal and open chromatin structure, and recently several epigenetic modifiers have been suggested to be involved in testicular dysgenesis in mice. We here review the possible involvement of epigenetic modifiers with a focus on jumonji C enzymes in the development of testicular dysgenesis and germ cell cancer in men.
authors.forename: Andreas C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lawaetz
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1832-0307
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Almstrup
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063646:Carcinogenesis; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D042421:Histone Code; D006801:Humans; D056484:Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating / Q000378:metabolism; D056485:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D018239:Seminoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C520448:JMJD1C protein, human; D056484:Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases; D056485:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 2; D010089:Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating