3p21.3区域鼻咽癌相关基因——BLU的抑癌功能

Analysis of Suppressive Roles of BLU Gene at 3p21.3 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

背景与目的:染色体3p21.3区域的杂合性丢失是鼻咽癌细胞中高发和早期的细胞遗传学变异,提示缺失区域内可能存在与鼻咽癌发生相关的抑癌基因。BLU基因定位于3p21.3,蛋白质结构中含有MYND功能域。已有研究表明,BLU基因在鼻咽癌细胞中发生高频率的启动子甲基化和表达缺失。本研究构建了野生型BLU基因和其突变体的表达载体,分析BLU基因对鼻咽癌细胞恶性增殖的可能抑制作用。方法:用RT-PCR方法钓取BLU基因全长cDNA;用定点突变技术分别构建缺失MYND结构域的突变体、携带Ser402Phe点突变及缺失第405位Cys和第406位Ser的突变体、以及携带Gly160Arg点突变的BLU基因突变体的表达载体。将野生型BLU基因和MYND缺失型突变体转染鼻咽癌细胞CNE1和CNE2,用TUNEL方法检测、观察细胞凋亡情况;通过细胞计数和克隆形成实验分析稳定转染细胞的生长特性;分析稳定转染BLU基因的载体对CNE2细胞裸鼠致瘤性的影响。结果:瞬时转染野生型或MYND缺失突变型BLU基因不能诱导CNE2细胞凋亡;外源表达BLU基因对CNE2的细胞凋亡以及对CNE1、CNE2的细胞增殖和克隆形成能力均无明显影响;BLU基因对CNE2细胞的裸鼠成瘤能力也没有明显抑制作用。结论:尽管BLU基因在鼻咽癌中发生高频率变异,但其对鼻咽癌细胞的恶性增殖并没有明显抑制作用。

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE:Nonrandom allelic loss at chromosome 3p21.3 is a common and early event in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which implicates the presence of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) that may be involved in the pathogenesis of NPCs. BLU gene, containing a MYND domain and located at 3p21.3, has been considered as a NPC associated candidate tumor suppressor gene (TSG) due to the occurrence of loss of its expression and aberrant promoter hypermethylation in most NPCs.This study was designed to construct expression vectors containing either wild type BLU gene and its mutants and to analyze the effect of BLU gene on proliferation of NPC cells by transfection assays. METHODS:The full length cDNA of BLU gene was amplified by RT PCR. The expression vectors containing various BLU mutants were constructed by site directed mutagenesis by overlapping PCR. These mutants include a MYND domain deletion mutant, a Ser402Phe and del405Cys, del406Ser mutant, and a Gly160Arg mutant. The wild type BLU gene and the MYND domain deletion mutant were transfected into NPC cell lines CNE1 and CNE2. The effect on apoptosis was determined by TUNEL assay. Cellular proliferation of the stably transfected cells was examined with cell growth curve and by colony formation assays. Tumorigenicity in nude mice of CNE2 stably transfected with BLU was investigated. RESULTS:No significant difference in apoptosis index (AI) was observed between cells transfected with wild type or MYND domain deleted BLU gene and cells transfected with plasmid controls. Exogeneous expression of wild type BLU gene had no effect on growth rate and colony formation ability of CNE1 and CNE2. BLU gene showed no suppressor ability in CNE2 tumorigenicity. CONCLUSION:Although BLU gene was frequently altered in NPCs, its suppressor role in NPC cells proliferation was not evident. Thus, the possibility of BLU gene as a TSG involved in NPC development remained to be elucidated by further studies.