The E-cadherin repressor Snail is associated with lower overall survival of ovarian cancer patients.

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among female genital malignancies. Reduced expression of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin was previously shown to be associated with adverse prognostic features. The role of the E-cadherin repressor Snail in ovarian cancer progression remains to be elucidated. We analysed formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of 48 primary ovarian tumours and corresponding metastases for expression of E-cadherin and Snail by immunohistochemistry. We found a significant correlation between E-cadherin expression in primary cancers and their corresponding metastases (P<0.001). This correlation was found for Snail expression as well (P<0.001). There was a significant (P=0.008) association of reduced E-cadherin expression in primary ovarian cancer with shorter overall survival. Similarly, Snail expression in corresponding metastases (P=0.047) was associated with reduced overall survival of the patients. Additionally, the group of patients showing reduced E-cadherin and increased Snail immunoreactivity in primary tumours and corresponding metastases, respectively, had a significantly higher risk of death (P=0.002 and 0.022, respectively) when compared to the patient group with the reference expression profile E-cadherin positive and Snail negative. Taken together, the results of our study show that the E-cadherin repressor Snail is associated with lower overall survival of ovarian cancer patients.

Analysis of the E-cadherin repressor Snail in primary human cancers.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a normal developmental process, is known to play a crucial role in tumor progression. Molecules involved in this process, such as the E-cadherin repressor Snail, facilitate migration and invasion of carcinoma cells. A growing number of studies addressing the expression of Snail in clinical samples have been reported and are discussed in this review. A total of 2,112 cases from 9 different tumor types were evaluated. So far, a clear picture has emerged only in some cancer types analyzed with regard to overexpression of Snail and clinical-pathological parameters. Currently, it seems that Snail may play a role in hormone-dependent carcinomas but may be of minor importance in gastrointestinal cancers for tumor dedifferentiation and the maintenance of the invasive phenotype. It should be kept in mind, however, that the threshold for Snail activity does not have to be the same in every tumor type analyzed. The recent introduction of well-characterized novel monoclonal antibodies reacting with the short-lived nuclear Snail protein may help to establish a potential clinical usefulness for this master molecule of EMT, at least for certain types of cancer.

Architecture and anatomy of the genomic locus encoding the human leukemia-associated transcription factor RUNX1/AML1.

The RUNX1 gene on human chromosome 21q22.12 belongs to the 'runt domain' gene family of transcription factors (also known as AML/CBFA/PEBP2alpha). RUNX1 is a key regulator of hematopoiesis and a frequent target of leukemia associated chromosomal translocations. Here we present a detailed analysis of the RUNX1 locus based on its complete genomic sequence. RUNX1 spans 260 kb and its expression is regulated through two distinct promoter regions, that are 160 kb apart. A very large CpG island complex marks the proximal promoter (promoter-2), and an additional CpG island is located at the 3' end of the gene. Hitherto, 12 different alternatively spliced RUNX1 cDNAs have been identified. Genomic sequence analysis of intron/exon boundaries of these cDNAs has shown that all consist of properly spliced authentic coding regions. This indicates that the large repertoire of RUNX1 proteins, ranging in size between 20-52 kDa, are generated through usage of alternatively spliced exons some of which contain in frame stop codons. The gene's introns are largely depleted of repetitive sequences, especially of the LINE1 family. The RUNX1 locus marks the transition from a ~1 Mb of gene-poor region containing only pseudogenes, to a gene-rich region containing several functional genes. A search for RUNX1 sequences that may be involved in the high frequency of chromosomal translocations revealed that a 555 bp long segment originating in chromosome 11 FLI1 gene was transposed into RUNX1 intron 4.1. This intron harbors the t(8;21) and t(3;21) chromosomal breakpoints involved in acute myeloid leukemia. Interestingly, the FLI1 homologous sequence contains a breakpoint of the t(11;22) translocation associated with Ewing's tumors, and may have a similar function in RUNX1.

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 is mutated in hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy-Lom.

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies, to which Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease belongs, are a common cause of disability in adulthood. Growing awareness that axonal loss, rather than demyelination per se, is responsible for the neurological deficit in demyelinating CMT disease has focused research on the mechanisms of early development, cell differentiation, and cell-cell interactions in the peripheral nervous system. Autosomal recessive peripheral neuropathies are relatively rare but are clinically more severe than autosomal dominant forms of CMT, and understanding their molecular basis may provide a new perspective on these mechanisms. Here we report the identification of the gene responsible for hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy-Lom (HMSNL). HMSNL shows features of Schwann-cell dysfunction and a concomitant early axonal involvement, suggesting that impaired axon-glia interactions play a major role in its pathogenesis. The gene was previously mapped to 8q24.3, where conserved disease haplotypes suggested genetic homogeneity and a single founder mutation. We have reduced the HMSNL interval to 200 kb and have characterized it by means of large-scale genomic sequencing. Sequence analysis of two genes located in the critical region identified the founder HMSNL mutation: a premature-termination codon at position 148 of the N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1). NDRG1 is ubiquitously expressed and has been proposed to play a role in growth arrest and cell differentiation, possibly as a signaling protein shuttling between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. We have studied expression in peripheral nerve and have detected particularly high levels in the Schwann cell. Taken together, these findings point to NDRG1 having a role in the peripheral nervous system, possibly in the Schwann-cell signaling necessary for axonal survival.

Comparative genome sequence analysis of the Bpa/Str region in mouse and Man.

The progress of human and mouse genome sequencing programs presages the possibility of systematic cross-species comparison of the two genomes as a powerful tool for gene and regulatory element identification. As the opportunities to perform comparative sequence analysis emerge, it is important to develop parameters for such analyses and to examine the outcomes of cross-species comparison. Our analysis used gene prediction and a database search of 430 kb of genomic sequence covering the Bpa/Str region of the mouse X chromosome, and 745 kb of genomic sequence from the homologous human X chromosome region. We identified 11 genes in mouse and 13 genes and two pseudogenes in human. In addition, we compared the mouse and human sequences using pairwise alignment and searches for evolutionary conserved regions (ECRs) exceeding a defined threshold of sequence identity. This approach aided the identification of at least four further putative conserved genes in the region. Comparative sequencing revealed that this region is a mosaic in evolutionary terms, with considerably more rearrangement between the two species than realized previously from comparative mapping studies. Surprisingly, this region showed an extremely high LINE and low SINE content, low G+C content, and yet a relatively high gene density, in contrast to the low gene density usually associated with such regions.

The DNA sequence of human chromosome 21.

Chromosome 21 is the smallest human autosome. An extra copy of chromosome 21 causes Down syndrome, the most frequent genetic cause of significant mental retardation, which affects up to 1 in 700 live births. Several anonymous loci for monogenic disorders and predispositions for common complex disorders have also been mapped to this chromosome, and loss of heterozygosity has been observed in regions associated with solid tumours. Here we report the sequence and gene catalogue of the long arm of chromosome 21. We have sequenced 33,546,361 base pairs (bp) of DNA with very high accuracy, the largest contig being 25,491,867 bp. Only three small clone gaps and seven sequencing gaps remain, comprising about 100 kilobases. Thus, we achieved 99.7% coverage of 21q. We also sequenced 281,116 bp from the short arm. The structural features identified include duplications that are probably involved in chromosomal abnormalities and repeat structures in the telomeric and pericentromeric regions. Analysis of the chromosome revealed 127 known genes, 98 predicted genes and 59 pseudogenes.

Distribution of GABA-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.).

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the most frequently occurring neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Using an antiserum against a GABA-protein conjugate, this has also been demonstrated for insects. The distribution of GABA-like immunoreactive neuronal elements within the central nervous system of the insect Periplaneta americana has been investigated by means of immunocytochemistry. An overview of the distribution of neuronal elements with GABA-like immunoreactivity (GLIR) in the brain is given. The ventral nerve cord was extensively investigated. The highest number of neurons with GLIR was estimated in the metathoracic ganglion (ca. 1000). The function of the suboesophageal ganglion as an inhibitory centre for the central nervous system was further confirmed by the high number of GABAergic elements and descending GABAergic pathways within the ventral nerve cord. A GABAergic innervation of skeletal musculature by so-called common inhibitory neurons was revealed for the legs of cockroaches. Nevertheless, GABA mainly seems to be a neurotransmitter in central interneurons. Identical distribution patterns of neuronal elements after immunofluorescence double-staining with anti-GABA antibodies and antibodies against the GABA-synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase demonstrated the high specificity of the anti-GABA serum used in this paper.

Simultaneous localization of a classical neurotransmitter (GABA) and a peptide transmitter candidate (proctolin) in the nervous system of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana.

The distribution of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the 6th abdominal ganglion of the cockroach Periplaneta americana was investigated using an antiserum against GABA. The high number of GABA immunoreactive neurons refer to the important function of this transmitter substance. The relation between the GABAergic system and the proctolinergic system in the 6th abdominal ganglion was examined by means of an immunohistochemical double staining technique. The results show that probably GABA and proctolin do not coexist within one neuron.