Epigenetic inactivation to target the arginine biosynthetic pathway in multiple myeloma.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18567-e18567
Author(s):  
Eleftheria Hatzimichael ◽  
Aggeliki Dasoula ◽  
Nelofer Syed ◽  
Peter Wojciech Szlosarek ◽  
George Dranitsaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Bone Disease ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Arginine Biosynthesis ◽  
Extramedullary Disease ◽  
Arginine Deprivation ◽  
Significant Difference

e18567 Background: Argininoosuccinate synthetase-1 (ASS1) catalyses the rate-limiting step in arginine biosynthesis, the conversion of citruline to arginine. Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) is an enzyme that catalyses the reversible breakdown of arginosuccinate producing arginine and fumerate. Arginine deprivation using arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20) is currently considered as a novel therapeutic intervention for cancer. In this perspective, we investigated the methylation status of the ASS1 and ASL CpG islands in multiple myeloma (MM) and analyzed for clinical relevance. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from bone marrow aspirate samples from 46 MM patients (28 male, 18 female, median age 64 years) obtained at diagnosis. Methylation-specific PCR was employed to study the methylation in the ASS1 and ASL CpG islands. DNA was isolated and bisulphite modified using commercially available kits. Logistic regression analyses were used to measure the association between gene methylation and sex, age>65, ISS stage, presence of extramedullary disease, renal failure and bone disease. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate the probabilities of survival and the Log-rank test to assess the statistical significance of differences in event rates. Results: Methylation in the CpG island of ASS1 was detected in 71.7% patients and of ASL in 37% patients, while simultaneous methylation in both genes was present in 10 patients. None of the two genes was detectably methylated in the control group. Patients with ASS1 methylation were less likely to have bone disease (p=0.04, OR=0.22) and extramedullary disease (p=0.05, OR=0.22) and a trend was also noted that these patients were less likely to be >65 years of age (p=0.2, OR=0.37). We did not detect any statistically significant difference in overall survival by methylation status of the studied genes in this small study size. Conclusions: We demonstrate for the first time that arginine biosynthesis genes ASS1 and ASL are methylated in MM.Methylation of ASS1 was found to be more frequent and negatively associated with bone or extramedullary disease. Further evaluation of ASS1 and ASL is warranted in MM and supports the expansion of arginine deprivation trials in these patients

Epigenetic Inactivation Targets the Arginine Biosynthetic Pathway At Two Levels in Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 4640-4640
Author(s):  
Eleftheria Hatzimichael ◽  
Aggeliki Dasoula ◽  
Nelofer Syed ◽  
Peter Szlosarek ◽  
George Dranitsaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Bone Disease ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Arginine Biosynthesis ◽  
Down Regulation ◽  
Extramedullary Disease ◽  
Arginine Deprivation

Abstract Abstract 4640 Background. Arginine is critical for the growth of certain human cancers and is an intermediary in the synthesis of various bioactive molecules. Argininosuccinate synthetase-1 (ASS1) catalyses the rate-limiting step in arginine biosynthesis, the conversion of citruline to arginine. Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) is an enzyme that catalyses the reversible breakdown of arginosuccinate producing arginine and fumerate. Down-regulation of ASS1 has been demonstrated in several solid cancers and has been shown to confer sensitivity to arginine deprivation (arginine auxotrophic tumors). Methylation-dependent silencing of the ASS1 promoter may account for ASS1 down-regulation and arginine auxotrophy. Arginine deprivation using arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20) is currently considered as a novel therapeutic intervention for cancer, and early clinical trials have shown promising results in solid tumors. In this perspective, we investigated for the first time the methylation status of the ASS1 and ASL CpG islands in multiple myeloma (MM) and analyzed for clinical relevance. Methods. Genomic DNA was extracted from bone marrow aspirate samples from 46 MM patients (28 male, 18 female, median age 64 years) obtained at diagnosis. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was employed to study the methylation in the ASS1 and ASL CpG islands. DNA was isolated and bisulphite modified using commercially available kits (QIAmp DNA mini kit, Qiagen and EZ DNA methylation kit, Zymo Research respectively). Control methylated and unmethylated genomic DNAs were included in each experiment. Ten bone marrow samples, with no neoplastic cells, from patients with borderline thrombocytopenia served as negative controls. Logistic regression analysis was used to measure the association between gene methylation and sex, age, ISS stage, presence of extramedullary disease, renal failure (eGFR<50 ml/min) and bone disease. Results. Methylation in the CpG island of ASS1 was detected in 71.7% patients (95% CI 57–82%) and of ASL in 37% patients (95% CI 24–51%), while simultaneous methylation in both genes was present in 10 patients. None of the two genes were detectably methylated in the control group. Patients with ASS1 methylation were less likely to have bone disease (p=0.04, OR=0.22) and extramedullary disease (p=0.05, OR=0.22). There was no statistically significant difference in overall survival by methylation status of the studied genes. Conclusions. Arginine biosynthesis genes ASS1 and ASL are methylated in MM. Methylation of ASS1 was found to be more frequent and negatively associated with bone or extramedullary disease. Further evaluation of ASS1 and ASL methylation is warranted in MM in the perspective of expanding arginine deprivation trials in these patients Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The Prolyl-3-Hydroxylase Leprecan Like 1 (Leprel1) Is a Selective Target for Epigenetic Silencing In Multiple Myeloma.

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 3645-3645
Author(s):  
Eleftheria Hatzimichael ◽  
Evangelia Xirofotou ◽  
Aggeliki Dasoula ◽  
Cristiana Lo Nigro ◽  
Laura Lattanzio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Solid Tumour ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Gene Methylation ◽  
Extramedullary Disease ◽  
Multiple Treatments ◽  
And Function

Abstract Abstract 3645 Background–Aim: Gene silencing is a major mechanism of tumour suppressor gene inactivation in neoplasia, including multiple myeloma (MM). Prolyl hydroxylation is an important post-translational modification that affects the structure and function of collagen. The human genome contains 3 prolyl 3 hydroxylases (P3H) which are closely related in structure and function: Leprecan (P3H1), Leprecan Like 1 (Leprel1, P3H2) and Leprecan Like 2 (Leprel2, P3H3). Leprel2 is methylated in multiple solid tumour types, whereas methylation in Leprel1 appears specific for breast cancer. Leprecan is not detectably methylated in any solid tumour we have analysed. Here, we examine the CpG methylation status of the P3H genes in patients with MM. Patients and Methods: Bone marrow aspirate samples from 38 MM patients (22 males, 16 females) were obtained at diagnosis. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was employed to study methylation in the Leprel 1, Leprel2 and Leprecan CpG islands. Genomic DNA was isolated and bisulphite modification performed using commercially available kits (QIAmp DNA mini kit, Qiagen and EZ DNA methylation kit, Zymo Research respectively). Control methylated and unmethylated genomic DNAs were included in each experiment. We used 2 sets of independent primers, which map to different areas of the leprel 1(P3H2) CpG island. Pyrosequencing is ongoing to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of MSP for analysis of P3H gene methylation in our study population. Ten bone marrow samples from patients with border line thrombocytopenia that were proved to have no neoplasia served as negative controls. Logistic regression analyses were used to measure the association between gene methylation and age, ISS stage, extramedullary disease, bone disease, anemia, renal failure, multiple treatments and relapsed/refractory disease. Results: None of the three genes under study was methylated in the control bone marrow samples, but methylation in the CpG island of Leprel 1 was detected in 20 cases (52%). No methylation was detected in the CpG islands of Leprel2 or Leprecan. Trends noted were that patients with methylated leprel 1 were more likely to have ISS stage 3 (OR 1.5, p=0.6), to have received multiple treatments (OR=1.7, p=0.4) and to have received radiotherapy for either bone lytic lesions or extramedullary disease (OR=5.6, p=0.1). Overall no significant association was found with any clinical parameter although the study might have been underpowered due to the small population size. Conclusions: This is the first demonstration of methylation of genes encoding collagen, the prolyl hydroxylases in MM, suggesting that this may be a novel class of myeloma suppressors. Interestingly, Leprel1 was methylated at high frequency, whereas Leprecan and Leprel2 were unmethylated, implying a striking specificity in MM for methylation in Leprel1. These findings warrant further evaluation in a larger sample of patients in order to better define the prognostic and clinical utility of leprel1 methylation in MM. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Methylation Status of the Collagen Prolyl-3 Hydroxylases (C-P3H) and C-P4H Genes in Multiple Myeloma: P3H2 Is Selectively Methylated

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 4639-4639
Author(s):  
Eleftheria Hatzimichael ◽  
Aggeliki Dasoula ◽  
Konstantinos Lagos ◽  
Georgianna Kartalou ◽  
George Dranitsaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Clinical Parameter ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Cpg Methylation ◽  
Post Translational Modification

Abstract Abstract 4639 Background–Aim: Prolyl hydroxylation is an important and the most common post-translational modification that affects the structure and function of collagen. Enzymes that participate in this process are the collagen prolyl-3 hydroxylases (C-P3H) and the C-P4H. We have previously showed that P3H3 is methylated in multiple solid tumour types, whereas methylation in P3H2 appears to be specific for breast cancer and multiple myeloma (MM). In this study we assessed the CpG methylation status of the P3H genes (P3H1, P3H2, P3H3) in a larger cohort of MM patients and for the first time the CpG methylation status of the P4H genes (P4HA1, P4HA2, P4HA3) and investigated for clinical relevance. Patients and Methods: Bone marrow aspirate samples from 47 MM patients (28 males, median age 66 years) were obtained at diagnosis. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was employed to study the CpG methylation in P3H1, P3H2, P3H3, P4HA1, P4HA2 and P4HA3 CpG islands. Genomic DNA was isolated and bisulphite modified using commercially available kits (QIAmp DNA mini kit, Qiagen and EZ DNA methylation kit, Zymo Research respectively). Control methylated and unmethylated genomic DNAs were included in each experiment. For the study of the P3H2 CpG methylation status we used 2 sets of independent primers, which map to different areas of P3H2 CpG island. Ten bone marrow samples from patients with border line thrombocytopenia that were proved to have no neoplasia served as negative controls. Logistic regression analyses were used to measure the association between gene methylation and age, b2 microglobulin, serum albumin, hypercalcemia, ISS stage, extramedullary disease, bone disease, anemia and renal failure (eGFR< 50 ml/min). Results: None of the six genes under study was methylated in the control bone marrow samples. Methylation in the CpG island of P3H2 was detected in 44 % of patients (95% CI 27.8–62.8%) No methylation was detected in the CpG islands of P3H1, P3H3, P4HA1, P4HA2 and P4HA3. Trends noted were that patients with methylated P3H2 were more likely to have ISS stage 3 (OR 2.2, p=0.1). Overall no significant association was found with any clinical parameter although the study might have been underpowered due to the small population size. Conclusions: P3H2 is methylated at high frequency in MM, whereas P3H1, P3H3, P4HA1, P4HA2, P4HA3 were unmethylated, implying a striking specificity for methylation in P3H2 in MM. These findings warrant further evaluation in a larger sample of patients in order to better define the prognostic and clinical utility of P3H2 methylation in MM. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

DNA methylation status of Smurf2 promoter in patients with multiple myeloma

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19537-e19537
Author(s):  
E. Hatzimichael ◽  
A. Dasoula ◽  
J. Stebbing ◽  
G. Dranitsaris ◽  
T. Crook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Serum Albumin ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Extramedullary Disease ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Beta 2 ◽  
Beta 2 Microglobulin

e19537 Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable interleukin (IL)-6 dependent plasma-cell malignancy. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is the major inducer of IL-6 secretion by bone marrow stromal cells. The signaling responses to TGF-b are mediated by the Smad proteins. The Smurf2 gene (Smad ubiqitiniation regulatory factor 2) encodes a Smad-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase and targets Smad2 and Smad3 for proteasome-dependent degradation. Methods: Bone marrow samples from individuals with MM were obtained at diagnosis and in 5 cases at disease progression as well. Genomic DNA was isolated and bisulphite modification was performed using commercially available kits. The methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was employed to study the methylation status of the CpG island. Logistic regression analysis was used to measure the association between gene methylation and the development of advanced disease (DS≥ II), extramedullary disease, bone disease, anemia (Hb 10 mg/dl), serum albumin and beta 2 microglobulin levels. Results: We analysed the methylation of Smurf2 in 45 cases of MM (24 male, 21 female, mean age 66.4 years). No sample from the control population was found methylated. The Smurf2 gene promoter was found to be methylated in 11/45 MM patients (24%). Interesting trends were noted where patients with methylated Smurf2 promoter had an increased risk of death (HR = 1.3; p = 0.68), anemia (OR=2.1, p=0.2) and advanced stage (OR=1.3, p=0.6) and a reduced risk of extramedullary disease (OR= 0.2, p=0.2). No association was found between Smurf2 methylation status and bone lytic lesions, serum albumin levels or beta-2 microglobulin levels. Conclusions: Interesting associations between Smurf2 methylation and some relevant clinical parameters in patients with MM were suggested by the data. These findings warrant further evaluation in a larger sample of patients in order to enhance our statistical power and better define the prognostic and clinical value of Smurf2 methylation in MM. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

scholarly journals p38β - MAPK11 and its role in female cancers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Periklis Katopodis ◽  
Rachel Kerslake ◽  
Athanasios Zikopoulos ◽  
Nefeli Eirini Beri ◽  
Vladimir Anikin
Keyword(s):  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Her2 Status ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Cancer Data ◽  
Signalling Molecules ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background The p38MAPK family of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases are a group of signalling molecules involved in cell growth, survival, proliferation and differentiation. The widely studied p38α isoform is ubiquitously expressed and is implicated in a number of cancer pathologies, as are p38γ and p38δ. However, the mechanistic role of the isoform, p38β, remains fairly elusive. Recent studies suggest a possible role of p38β in both breast and endometrial cancer with research suggesting involvement in bone metastasis and cancer cell survival. Female tissue specific cancers such as breast, endometrial, uterine and ovary account for over 3,000,000 cancer related incidents annually; advancements in therapeutics and treatment however require a deeper understanding of the molecular aetiology associated with these diseases. This study provides an overview of the MAPK signalling molecule p38β (MAPK11) in female cancers using an in-silico approach. Methods A detailed gene expression and methylation analysis was performed using datasets from cBioportal, CanSar and MEXPRESS. Breast, Uterine Endometrial, Cervical, Ovarian and Uterine Carcinosarcoma TCGA cancer datasets were used and analysed.Results Data using cBioportal and CanSAR suggest that expression of p38β is lower in cancers: BRCA, UCEC, UCS, CESC and OV compared to normal tissue. Methylation data from SMART and MEXPRESS indicate significant probe level variation of CpG island methylation status of the gene MAPK11. Analysis of the genes’ two CpG islands shows that the gene was hypermethylated in the CpG1 with increased methylation seen in BRCA, CESC and UCEC cancer data sets with a slight increase of expression recorded in cancer samples. CpG2 exhibited hypomethylation with no significant difference between samples and high levels of expression. Further analysis from MEXPRESS revealed no significance between probe methylation and altered levels of expression. In addition, no difference in the expression of BRCA oestrogen/progesterone/HER2 status was seen. Conclusion This data provides an overview of the expression of p38β in female tissue specific cancers, showing a decrease in expression of the gene in BRCA, UCEC, CESC, UCS and OV, increasing the understanding of p38β MAPK expression and offering insight for future in-vitro investigation and therapeutic application.

Genome-Wide Epigenetic Analysis of Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) In Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 3640-3640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jumpei Yamazaki ◽  
Marcos R Estecio ◽  
Jaroslav Jelinek ◽  
David Graber ◽  
Yue Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cell Population ◽  
Progenitor Cell ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Abstract 3640 Background & Aims: The hypothesis that cancer is driven by Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs or Cancer-Initiating Cell) has recently attracted a great deal of attention. Epigenetic mechanism such as DNA methylation and histone modification play an important role in cancer cells and also in normal stem cells. However, their role remains unclear in CSCs. We sought to determine if CSCs have distinct epigenetic patterns in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: Peripheral blood samples in AML patients were separated to obtain stem cells (CD34+CD38-) and progenitor cells (CD34+CD38+) by magnetic cell sorting (MACS®, Myltenyi biotec). To study DNA methylation in CSCs in AML, we performed genome wide screening using methylated CpG island microarray (MCAM), which detects 7202 promoter CpG islands, 1348 non-promoter CpG islands, and 632 non-CpG island promoter methylation. MCAM was performed on 4 AML patient samples Next, we evaluated the methylation status of 7 genes which showed apparent higher DNA methylation in stem cells or progenitor cells in MCAM analysis, using a quantitative bisulfite-pyrosequencing for each population of stem cell, progenitor cell, and mature cells (CD34-) from peripheral blood samples in 6 AML patients. For histone modification analysis, we used Chromation immuprecipitation followed by massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-Seq) for stem cell and progenitor cell populations for H3K4me3 which is known to be a marker for activated genes. Results: By MCAM, we found minimal differences between stem cells and progenitor cells present in 2 out of 4 AML patients. Those few genes (<1%) which were shown to have higher DNA methylation in stem or progenitor cells by MCAM analysis were likely false positives, as no significant difference was found when analyzed by quantitative bisulfite-pyrosequencing. DNA methylation status for stem cell-related gene (OCT4, SOX2, MYC, HOXB4, and KLF4) also showed no significant difference. By ChIP-seq analysis, we found differences in 2362 genes between stem cells and progenitor cells. In stem cells, H3K4me3 was enriched in genes (Bmi1, Notch1, Wnt1, and etc) which are known to be important for stem cell function, but they were not enriched in the progenitor cell population. In pathway analysis of the H3K4me3 data, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor signaling, NFkB signaling, and p53 signaling are found to be enriched specifically in the stem cell population whereas Cellular Growth and Cell Cycle, and DNA Damage Response signaling are found in the progenitor cell population. Conclusions: There is no significant difference in DNA methylation between stem cell, progenitor cell or mature cell populations in AML. DNA methylation of promoter CpG islands is unlikely to explain tumor hierarchy in AML. Rather, histone modifications seem to have a greater significance in this regard. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Snk/Plk2 Methylation Is a Frequent Event in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 4479-4479
Author(s):  
Eleftheria Hatzimichael ◽  
George Dranitsaris ◽  
Aggeliki Dasoula ◽  
Nelofer Syed ◽  
Justin Stebbing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Serum Albumin ◽  
Median Survival ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Extramedullary Disease ◽  
Frequent Event ◽  
Beta 2 ◽  
Beta 2 Microglobulin

Abstract Background-Aim: The polo like kinases (Plk) are highly conserved in evolution and have critical functions in the regulation of proliferation and cell cycle checkpoints. We previously showed that polo like kinase 2 (Snk/Plk2) is subject to methylation-dependent transcriptional silencing in B lymphomas, with a very high frequency in Burkitt lymphomas, implying that Snk/Plk2 may have a tumour suppressor function in B lymphocytes. However, no study has examined epigenetic changes in plasma cell dyscrasias. Here, we have examined CpG methylation in Snk/Plk2 in a well-characterised series of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Patients and Methods: Bone marrow samples from individuals with MM were obtained at diagnosis and disease progression. Genomic DNA was isolated and bisulphite modification was performed using commercially available kits (QIAmp DNA mini kit, Qiagen and EZ DNA methylation kit, Zymo Research respectively). The methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) with primers for methylated and unmethylated alleles of the Snk/Plk2 gene promoter was employed to study its methylation status. Control methylated (CpG Genome™ Universal Methylated, Chemicon International) and unmethylated genomic DNAs were included in each experiment. Ten bone marrow samples from individuals with borderline thrombocytopenia, that proved to have no haematological malignancy, served as negative controls. Survival curves were generated using the method of Kaplan-Meier and compared with the log-rank test. Logistic regression analyses were also used to measure the association between gene methylation and the development of advanced disease (DS³II), extramedullary disease, bone disease, anemia (Hb≤10 mg/dl), serum albumin and beta 2 microglobulin levels. Results: We analysed the methylation of Snk/Plk2 in 45 cases of multiple myeloma (MM) (24 male, 21 female, mean age 66.4 years ±12.4). Using the Durie and Salmon staging system MM patients’ disease stages were as follows: smoldering MM 7/45, IA 9/45, IIA 13/45 patients, IIIA 7/45 patients and IIIB 9/45 patients. Classical cytogenetic analysis was available in 30/45 patients and none of them was found to have chromosome 13 abnormalities. No sample from the control population was found methylated. The Snk/Plk2 promoter was found to be methylated in 27/45 (60%) MM patients. Median survival of patients in whom the Snk/Plk2 CpG island was methylated was 7.1 years compared to a median survival of 8.8 years for unmethylated. However Snk/Plk2 methylation was not a predictor of excess mortality (HR=0.6, p=0.5), bone lytic lesions (OR=0.56, p=0.3), anemia (OR=0.5, p=0.3) or advanced stage as defined above (OR=0.8, p=0.7). A trend was noted where patients with methylated Snk/Plk2 had a reduced risk of developing extramedullary disease (OR=0.3, p=0.1). No association was found between the methylation and serum albumin (p=0.3) or beta 2 microglobulin levels (p=0.8). Conlusions: We examined for the first time the methylation status of Snk/Plk2 in MM patients and showed that it is a common event in these patients implying that loss of function in this gene is frequently involved in the pathogenesis of MM. However there was lack of association between the methylation status of the gene and relevant clinical parameters. Further evaluation in a larger sample of patients is needed in order to better define the prognostic and clinical value if any of Snk/Plk2 methylation in MM.

An Upstream Insulator Element Regulates DLK1 Imprinting in AML

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 202-202
Author(s):  
Haytham Khoury ◽  
Fernando Suarez-Saiz ◽  
Samantha Wu ◽  
Serban San-Marina ◽  
Mark Minden
Keyword(s):  
Cell Line ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Ctcf Binding ◽  
Monoallelic Expression ◽  
Methylation Analysis ◽  
Insulator Element ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract DLK1 is a transmembrane protein of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, encoded by a paternally-imprinted gene located within the chromosomal region 14q32. In addition to DLK1, this region contains other paternally expressed genes, including Dio3 and RTl1 and a set of genes expressed from the maternal chromosome, including MEG3, C/D snoRNA and Mirg. In mice, the expression of these paternally- and maternally-imprinted genes is inversely correlated and controlled by the methylation status intergenic differentially methylated region (IG-DMR). Recently it has been reported that DLK1 is expressed at higher than normal levels in myelodysplasia (MDS) and also in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). To determine whether loss of imprinting (LOI) could account for DLK1 overexpression and to study the mechanisms that regulate DLK1 imprinting in AML, we analyzed the expression of 3 informative coding SNPs located in exon 5 (rs#1802710, rs#2295660, rs#1058009) in 11 normal bone marrows (NBMs), the 3 cell lines (OCI/AML-5, NB4 and K562) characterized by DLK1 upregulation and 40 AML patients (pts) with DLK1 overexpression. Furthermore, we undertook quantitative methylation analysis, using the MassARRAY system, of 7 CpG rich-reas: 3 located upstream or within MEG3 and correspond to the CpG islands # 30, 45 and 70, 1 corresponds to the putative IG-DMR, and 3 located upstream or within DLK1 and correspond to the CpG islands # 26, 65 and 79. Informative SNPs were found in 6 NBMs, 28 AML pts and the cell line K562. Of these, biallelic DLK1 expression was found in the cell line K562 as well as 22/28 (72%) AML pts. In contrast, all NBMs and 7 AML pts were found to have monoallelic expression. Pts with biallelic DLK1 expression showed higher DLK1/GAPDH than pts with monoallelic expression (median: 0.0057 vs 0.0024). On the other hand, no significant difference in MEG3 levels was found between the two groups (P = 0.49) and no correlation was found between DLK1 and MEG3 levels (r= −0.1212). The quantitative methylation analysis revealed no difference between the pts with monoallelic and biallelic DLK1 expression in the methylation patterns of the CpG islands # 30, 45, 70, 65 and 26 or the IG-DMR. In contrast, significant difference was found in the methylation the CpG island #79, located 18 kb upstream DLK1 (P &lt;0.0001). In fact, there was a strong association between bi-allelic DLK1 expression and the hypermethylation of the latter CpG island, suggesting that this region contains an insulator element that regulates DLK1 imprinting and transcription through a methylation-sensitive mechanisms. Almost all insulator elements use the zinc finger protein CTCF to achieve their silencing activity. Indeed, a bioinformatic search indicated the presence of at least 4 predicted CTCF-binding sites. The CpG dinucleotides located within or in the vicinity of these binding sites were largely hypermethylated in AML with biallelic DLK1 expression, in sharp contrast with NBMs and pts with monoallelic DLK1 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed that the CTCF protein binds to this region in 1 NBM and 2 pts with monoallelic expression, whereas no immunoprecipitation was seen in the K562 and 2 pts with biallelic DLK1 expression. Taken together, our data suggest DLK1 LOI occurs in 72% of AML and the expression of the paternally-imprinted DLK1 and the maternally-imprinted MEG3 genes are not coordinated in AML. Furthermore, an insulator element located 18 kb upstream DLK1 plays important role in controlling this gene imprinting in AML, through interaction with CTCF.

scholarly journals p38β - MAPK11 and its role in female cancers

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Periklis Katopodis ◽  
Rachel Kerslake ◽  
Athanasios Zikopoulos ◽  
Nefeli Beri ◽  
Vladimir Anikin
Keyword(s):  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Her2 Status ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Cancer Data ◽  
In Vitro Investigation ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background The p38MAPK family of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases are a group of signalling molecules involved in cell growth, survival, proliferation and differentiation. The widely studied p38α isoform is ubiquitously expressed and is implicated in a number of cancer pathologies, as are p38γ and p38δ. However, the mechanistic role of the isoform, p38β, remains fairly elusive. Recent studies suggest a possible role of p38β in both breast and endometrial cancer with research suggesting involvement in bone metastasis and cancer cell survival. Female tissue specific cancers such as breast, endometrial, uterine and ovary account for over 3,000,000 cancer related incidents annually; advancements in therapeutics and treatment however require a deeper understanding of the molecular aetiology associated with these diseases. This study provides an overview of the MAPK signalling molecule p38β (MAPK11) in female cancers using an in-silico approach. Methods A detailed gene expression and methylation analysis was performed using datasets from cBioportal, CanSar and MEXPRESS. Breast, Uterine Endometrial, Cervical, Ovarian and Uterine Carcinosarcoma TCGA cancer datasets were used and analysed. Results Data using cBioportal and CanSAR suggest that expression of p38β is lower in cancers: BRCA, UCEC, UCS, CESC and OV compared to normal tissue. Methylation data from SMART and MEXPRESS indicate significant probe level variation of CpG island methylation status of the gene MAPK11. Analysis of the genes’ two CpG islands shows that the gene was hypermethylated in the CpG1 with increased methylation seen in BRCA, CESC and UCEC cancer data sets with a slight increase of expression recorded in cancer samples. CpG2 exhibited hypomethylation with no significant difference between samples and high levels of expression. Further analysis from MEXPRESS revealed no significance between probe methylation and altered levels of expression. In addition, no difference in the expression of BRCA oestrogen/progesterone/HER2 status was seen. Conclusion This data provides an overview of the expression of p38β in female tissue specific cancers, showing a decrease in expression of the gene in BRCA, UCEC, CESC, UCS and OV, increasing the understanding of p38β MAPK expression and offering insight for future in-vitro investigation and therapeutic application.

scholarly journals DNA Methylation of Endoglin Pathway Genes in Pregnant Women With and Without Preeclampsia

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 251686572095968
Author(s):  
Allison H Rietze ◽  
Yvette P Conley ◽  
Dianxu Ren ◽  
Cindy M Anderson ◽  
James M Roberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Cpg Island ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Control Participant ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Promoter Regions ◽  
Participant Group

Objective: We compared blood-based DNA methylation levels of endoglin ( ENG) and transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 ( TGFβR2) gene promoter regions between women with clinically-overt preeclampsia and women with uncomplicated, normotensive pregnancies. Methods: We used EpiTect Methyl II PCR Assays to evaluate DNA methylation of CpG islands located in promoter regions of ENG (CpG Island 114642) and TGFβR2 (CpG Island 110111). Preeclampsia was diagnosed based on blood pressure, protein, and uric acid criteria. N = 21 nulliparous preeclampsia case participants were 1:1 frequency matched to N = 21 nulliparous normotensive control participants on gestational age at sample collection (±2 weeks), smoking status, and labor status at sample collection. Methylation values were compared between case and control participant groups [( ENG subset: n = 20 (9 cases, 11 controls); TGFβR2 subset: n = 28 (15 cases, 13 controls)]. Results: The majority of the preeclampsia cases delivered at ⩾34 weeks’ gestation (83%). Average methylation levels for ENG ([M ± (SD)]; Case Participant Group = 6.54% ± 4.57 versus Control Participant group = 4.81% ± 5.08; P = .102) and TGFβR2 (Case Participant Group = 1.50% ± 1.37 vs Control Participant Group = 1.70% ± 1.40; P = .695) promoter CpG islands did not differ significantly between the participant groups. Removal of 2 extreme outliers in the ENG analytic subset revealed a trend between levels of ENG methylation and pregnancy outcome (Case Participant Group = 5.17% ± 2.16 vs Control Participant Group = 3.36% ± 1.73; P = .062). Conclusion: Additional epigenetic studies that include larger sample sizes, investigate preeclampsia subtypes, and capture methylation status of CpG island shores and shelves are needed to further inform us of the potential role that ENG and TGFβR2 DNA methylation plays in preeclampsia pathophysiology.

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