CTCF genetic alterations in endometrial carcinoma are pro-tumorigenic

CTCF is a haploinsufficient tumour suppressor gene with diverse normal functions in genome structure and gene regulation. However the mechanism by which CTCF haploinsufficiency contributes to cancer development is not well understood. CTCF is frequently mutated in endometrial cancer. Here we show that most CTCF mutations effectively result in CTCF haploinsufficiency through nonsense-mediated decay of mutant transcripts, or loss-of-function missense mutation. Conversely, we identified a recurrent CTCF mutation K365T, which alters a DNA binding residue, and acts as a gain-of-function mutation enhancing cell survival. CTCF genetic deletion occurs predominantly in poor prognosis serous subtype tumours, and this genetic deletion is associated with poor overall survival. In addition, we have shown that CTCF haploinsufficiency also occurs in poor prognosis endometrial clear cell carcinomas and has some association with endometrial cancer relapse and metastasis. Using shRNA targeting CTCF to recapitulate CTCF haploinsufficiency, we have identified a novel role for CTCF in the regulation of cellular polarity of endometrial glandular epithelium. Overall, we have identified two novel pro-tumorigenic roles (promoting cell survival and altering cell polarity) for genetic alterations of CTCF in endometrial cancer

Synthesis and Catalytic Behavior of Ferrierite Zeolite Nanoneedles

International audienceThe proton form of nanosized, needlelike ferrierite zeolite, which was synthesized using choline and Na+ cations as structure-directing agents, was found to be much more efficient for the skeletal isomerization of 1-butene to isobutene than the corresponding cation form of conventional, submicrometric ferrierite with a platelike shape, mainly because of the considerably lower density of strong acid sites, but as well as a result of the higher density of 10-ring pore mouths

Amelogenin processing by MMP-20 prevents protein occlusion inside calcite crystals

10.1021/cg300754aCrystal Growth and Design12104897-4905CGDE