The role of EZH2 and DNA methylation in the silencing of the tumour suppressor RUNX3 in colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT: In gastric cancer, a new epigenetic mechanism of tumour suppressor loss has been suggested where the histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is responsible for loss of expression of RUNX3. This is consistent with EZH2 upregulation in multiple cancer types being associated with poor prognosis. We investigated whether EZH2 influences the expression of RUNX3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and whether this is independent of methylation. We determined protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of EZH2 and RUNX3 and assessed RUNX3 methylation with methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction using 72 human CRCs and 8 CRC cell lines. We assessed the effect of efficient RNA interference-mediated knockdown of EZH2 on RUNX3 levels, cell viability and H3K27 trimethylation of the RUNX3

SUBMITTER: Kodach LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2930806 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature