title: Epigenetic Mechanisms Leading to Overexpression of HMGA Proteins in Human Pituitary Adenomas.
abstract: Overexpression of the high-mobility group A (HMGA)1 and HMGA2 proteins is a feature of all human pituitary adenoma (PAs) subtypes. However, amplification and/or rearrangement of the HMGA2 have been described in human prolactinomas, but rarely in other pituitary subtypes, and no genomic amplification of HMGA1 was detected in PAs. Here, we summarize the functional role of HMGA proteins in pituitary tumorigenesis and the epigenetic mechanisms contributing to HMGA overexpression in these tumors focusing on recent studies indicating a critical role of non-coding RNAs in modulating HMGA protein levels.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Istituto per l'Endocrinologia e l'Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy ; Instituto Nacional de Câncer - INCA , Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusco
keywords: HMGA proteins; long non-coding RNA; microRNAs; pituitary tumors; pseudogenes