title: Oncogenic roles of the SETDB2 histone methyltransferase in gastric cancer.
abstract: SETDB2 is a histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) tri-methyltransferase that is involved in transcriptional gene silencing. Since it is still unknown whether SETDB2 is linked to carcinogenesis, we studied alterations and functions of SETDB2 in human gastric cancers (GCs). SETDB2 protein was highly expressed in 30 of 72 (41.7%) primary GC tissues compared with their normal counterparts by immunohistochemistry. SETDB2 overexpression was significantly associated with the late stage of GCs (P<0.05) and poor prognosis of GC patients (P<0.05). The GC cell lines with SETDB2 knockdown and overexpression significantly decreased and increased cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively (P<0.05). Knockdown of SETDB2 in MKN74 and MKN45 cells reduced global H3K9 tri-methylation (me3) levels. Microarray analysis indicated that expression of WWOX and CADM1, tumor suppressor genes, was significantly enhanced in MKN74 cells after SETDB2 knockdown. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that the H3K9me3 levels at the promoter regions of these two genes corresponded to the SETDB2 expression levels in GC cells. Moreover, ectopic SETDB2 protein was recruited to their promoter regions. Our data suggest that SETDB2 is associated with transcriptional repression of WWOX and CADM1, and hence overexpression of SETDB2 may contribute to GC progression.
authors: Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Taketo
authors: T
authors: Nishikawaji
authors: Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yoshimitsu
authors: Y
authors: Akiyama
authors: Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Shu
authors: S
authors: Shimada
authors: Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Kazuyuki
authors: K
authors: Kojima
authors: Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Tatsuyuki
authors: T
authors: Kawano
authors: Department of Human Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yoshinobu
authors: Y
authors: Eishi
authors: Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yasuhito
authors: Y
authors: Yuasa
authors: Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; C000625967:SETDB2 protein, human
keywords: H3K9me3; SETDB2; gastric cancer; histone methyltransferase