Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• RUEBEL, Katharina H
• LONG JIN
• XIANG QIAN
• SCHEITHAUER, Bernd W
• KOVACS, Kalman
• NAKAMURA, Nobuki
• HEYU ZHANG
• RAZ, Avraham
• LLOYD, Ricardo V

Titel

Effects of DNA methylation on galectin-3 expression in pituitary tumors

Ist Teil von

• Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.), 2005-02, Vol.65 (4), p.1136-1140

Ort / Verlag

Philadelphia, PA: American Association for Cancer Research

Erscheinungsjahr

2005

Quelle

Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a beta-galactoside-binding protein is expressed in a specific cell-type manner in pituitary tumors. Here we questioned the mechanism of Gal-3 expression in pituitary tumors, by using methylation-specific PCR and DNA sequence analyses to analyze the methylation status of the promoter region of the LGALS3 gene. DNA analysis of a human pituitary tumor, breast carcinoma cell lines, and thyroid carcinoma cell lines showed that in cells expressing Gal-3 protein, the LGALS3 gene was unmethylated, whereas in Gal-3 null cells, the promoter of the LGALS3 gene was methylated. Treatment of cells with 30 mumol/L 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine induced Gal-3 mRNA and protein expression. Among pituitary tumors, 30% (7/23), mainly in follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone-producing (38%) and null cell (57%) adenomas, the promoter of the LGALS3 was found to be methylated and silenced, although prolactin- and adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing tumors, which were unmethylated, expressed the Gal-3 protein. These results show for the first time that Gal-3 expression is regulated in part by promoter methylation in pituitary as well as in other tumors. Because it is functionally involved in cancer progression and metastasis, Gal-3 may serve as a possible therapeutic target in the treatment of pituitary tumors.