RESUMO
EGFRvIII is a constitutively activated truncated variant of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which has been shown to increase tumorgenicity. There are conflicting reports on the extent of EGFRvIII expression in tissues which may in part stem from the use of different assay methodologies. We investigated the expression of both EGFRvIII and wild-type EGFR (EGFRwt) in cell lines and primary breast cancers. First, we used a RT-PCR assay that can simultaneously measure EGFRwt and EGFRvIII mRNA to screen 55 tumor cell lines. We show that except for EGFRvIII transfected cells, only EGFRwt was detected. We then validated a real-time PCR assay and used this to screen 170 formalin fixed paraffin-embedded primary breast cancers for evidence of EGFRwt and EGFRvIII expression. No samples were positive for EGFRvIII expression except for control transfectants and glioblastomas. In contrast, EGFRwt was expressed at varying levels in the majority of samples tested. We conclude that the expression of EGFRvIII is extremely rare in breast cancer and therefore it does not contribute to the malignant phenotype.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/genética , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Carcinoma Ductal de Mama/genética , Carcinoma Ductal de Mama/patologia , Receptores ErbB/biossíntese , Feminino , Humanos , Fenótipo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , RNA Mensageiro/biossíntese , Células Tumorais CultivadasRESUMO
It is known that point mutations and rearrangements (deletions and duplications) of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can result in mitochondrial dysfunction and human disease. Very little attention has been paid to mtDNA circular dimers (a complex form consisting of two genomes joined head-to-tail) despite their close association with human neoplasia. MtDNA dimers are frequently found in human leukemia, but the clinical relevance of their presence remains unknown. To begin to investigate the role of circular dimer mtDNA in the tumorigenic phenotype, we have created isogenic cell lines containing monomer and dimer mitochondrial genomes and compared the respective nuclear mRNA expression using Affymetrix gene array analysis. Surprisingly, a large number of nuclear gene changes were observed, with one of the largest category of genes being associated with remodeling of the cell surface and extracellular matrix. Since cell growth, migration, apoptosis, and many other cellular processes are influenced by signals initiating from the cell surface, the changes associated with the presence of mtDNA dimers could lead to significant alterations in tumorigenic potential and/or progression.
Assuntos
Núcleo Celular/genética , DNA Mitocondrial/genética , Animais , Southern Blotting , Divisão Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Divisão Celular/genética , Linhagem Celular , DNA Mitocondrial/química , Dimerização , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Genótipo , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos , Consumo de Oxigênio/genética , Timidina Quinase/genética , Uridina/farmacologiaRESUMO
Mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are an important cause of genetic disease. We describe a family with an unusual homoplasmic mutation that resulted in six neonatal deaths and one surviving child with Leigh syndrome. The mother is clinically normal, but a severe biochemical and molecular genetic defect was present in both a fatally affected child and the mother. This family highlights the role of homoplasmic mt-tRNA mutations in genetic disease.
