Identification of PAK4 as a putative target gene for amplification within 19q13.12-q13.2 in oral squamous-cell carcinoma.

Amplification of chromosomal DNA is thought to be one of the mechanisms activating cancer-related genes in tumors. To identify the most likely target for amplification in the region 19q13.12-q13.2, detected previously in SKN-3 cells by a genome-wide screening of DNA copy-number aberrations in a panel of oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines, we determined the extent of the amplicon, analyzed a panel of cell lines for the expression of candidate genes within the amplicon, and then evaluated growth-suppressive effects by knocking down genes of interest. Reported information about the function and/or expression of each gene, remarkable overexpression in SKN-3 cells and relatively frequent overexpression in additional OSCC lines compared with an immortalized normal oral epithelial cell line, and expression level-dependent proliferation-promoting activity led us to conclude that the p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) gene was the most likely target. An immunohistochemical analysis of primary tumors from 105 cases of head and neck SCC including 50 cases of OSCC demonstrated the overexpression of PAK4 to be significantly associated with a poorer prognosis. These findings reveal that the PAK4 overexpression through amplification or other mechanisms promotes the proliferation and/or survival of OSCC cells, and that PAK4 might be a good diagnostic and/or therapeutic target.

Frequent silencing of a putative tumor suppressor gene melatonin receptor 1 A (MTNR1A) in oral squamous-cell carcinoma.

Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) has good potential for the high-throughput identification of genetic aberrations in cell genomes. In the course of a program to screen a panel of 21 oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines for genome-wide copy-number aberrations by array-CGH using our in-house bacterial artificial chromosome arrays, we identified a frequent homozygous deletion at 4q35 loci with approximately 1 Mb in extent. Among the seven genes located within this region, the expression of the melatonin receptor 1 A (MTNR1A) messenger RNA (mRNA) was not detected or decreased in 35 out of the 39 (89%) OSCC cell lines, but was detected in immortalized normal oral epithelial cell line, and was restored in gene-silenced OSCC cells without its homozygous loss after treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. The hypermethylation of the CpG (cytosine and guanine separated by phosphate) island in the promoter region of MTNR1A was inversely correlated with its expression in OSCC lines without a homozygous deletion. Methylation of this CpG island was also observed in primary OSCC tissues. In an immunohistochemical analysis of 50 primary OSCC tumors, the absence of immunoreactive MTNR1A was significantly associated with tumor size and a shorter overall survival in patients with OSCC tumors, and seems to be an independent prognosticator in a multivariate analysis. Exogenous restoration of MTNR1A expression inhibited the growth of OSCC cells lacking its expression. Together with the known tumor-suppressive function of melatonin and MTNR1A in various tumors, our results indicate MTNR1A to be the most likely target for epigenetic silencing at 4q35 and to play a pivotal role during oral carcinogenesis.

Genetic or epigenetic silencing of low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1B expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Previously, we have reported frequent silencing of the expression of LRP1B by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. As the same events might be involved in the development/progression of OSCC, we examined intragenic homozygous deletions, expression levels, and methylation status in the CpG island of this gene. Homozygous deletion was detected in only 1 of 18 (5.6%) OSCC lines, whereas the expression of LRP1B mRNA was silenced in 8 of 17 (47.1%) OSCC lines without homozygous deletion. An inverse correlation between mRNA expression and methylation status of the LRP1B CpG island was clearly observed in OSCC lines, and LRP1B mRNA expression was restored by treatment with 5-aza-dCyd. Frequent methylation of the LRP1B promoter was also observed in primary OSCC. Taken together, the results suggested that frequent inactivation of LRP1B mainly occurs by means of epigenetic mechanisms in OSCC, which might play an important role in oral tumorigenesis.