Cancer-testis gene expression is associated with the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C>T polymorphism in non-small cell lung carcinoma

Background: Tumor-specific, coordinate expression of cancer-testis (CT) genes, mapping to the X chromosome, is observed in more than 60% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Although CT gene expression has been unequivocally related to DNA demethylation of promoter regions, the underlying mechanism leading to loss of promoter methylation remains elusive. Polymorphisms of enzymes within the 1-carbon pathway have been shown to affect S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) production, which is the sole methyl donor in the cell. Allelic variants of several enzymes within this pathway have been associated with altered SAM levels either directly, or indirectly as reflected by altered levels of SAH and Homocysteine levels, and altered levels of DNA methylation. We, therefore, asked whether the five most commonly occurring polymorphisms in four of the enzymes in the 1-carbon pathway associated with CT gene expression status in patients with NSCLC.Methods: Fifty patients among a cohort of 763 with NSCLC were selected based on CT gene expression status and typed for five polymorphisms in four genes known to affect SAM generation by allele specific q-PCR and RFLP.Results: We identified a significant association between CT gene expression and the MTHFR 677 CC genotype, as well as the C allele of the SNP, in this cohort of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that the genotype and allele strongly associate with CT gene expression, independent of potential confounders.Conclusions: Although CT gene expression is associated with DNA demethylation, in NSCLC, our data suggests this is unlikely to be the result of decreased MTHFR function. © 2013 Senses et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Reorganization of inter-chromosomal interactions in the 2q37-deletion syndrome

Chromosomes occupy distinct interphase territories in the three-dimensional nucleus. However, how these chromosome territories are arranged relative to one another is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the inter-chromosomal interactions between chromosomes 2q, 12, and 17 in human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MSC-derived cell types by DNA-FISH We compared our findings in normal karyotypes with a three-generation family harboring a 2q37-deletion syndrome, featuring a heterozygous partial deletion of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) on chr2q37. In normal karyotypes, we detected stable, recurring arrangements and interactions between the three chromosomal territories with a tissue-specific interaction bias at certain loci. These inter-chromosomal interactions were confirmed by Hi-C. Interestingly, the disease-related HDAC4 deletion resulted in displaced inter-chromosomal arrangements and altered interactions between the deletion-affected chromosome 2 and chromosome 12 and/or 17 in 2q37-deletion syndrome patients. Our findings provide evidence for a direct link between a structural chromosomal aberration and altered interphase architecture that results in a nuclear configuration, supporting a possible molecular pathogenesis

Epigenetic landscape during osteoblastogenesis defines a differentiation-dependent Runx2 promoter region

Runx2 is a developmentally regulated gene in vertebrates and is essential for bone formation and skeletal homeostasis. The induction of runx2-P1 isoform transcripts is a hallmark of early osteoblastogenesis. Although previous in vitro studies have defined a minimal Runx2-P1 promoter sequence with well-characterized functional elements, several lines of evidence suggest that transcription of the Runx2-P1 isoform relies on elements that extend beyond the previously defined P1 promoter boundaries. In this study, we examined Runx2-P1 transcriptional regulation in a cellular in vivo context during early osteoblastogenesis of MC3T3-E1 cultures and BMSCs induced towards the bone lineage by multi-layered analysis of the Runx2-P1 gene promoter using the following methodologies: 1) sequence homology among several mammalian species, 2) DNaseI hypersensitivity coupled with massively parallel sequencing (DNase-seq), and 3) chromatin immunoprecipitation of activating histone modifications coupled with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq). These epigenetic features have allowed the demarcation of boundaries that redefine the minimal Runx2-P1 promoter to include a 336-bp sequence that mediates responsiveness to osteoblast differentiation. We also find that an additional level of control is contributed by a regulatory region in the 5\u27-UTR of Runx2-P1