Male germ cell-specific RNA binding protein RBMY: a new oncogene explaining male predominance in liver cancer.

ABSTRACT: Male gender is a risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but the mechanisms are not fully understood. The RNA binding motif gene on the Y chromosome (RBMY), encoding a male germ cell-specific RNA splicing regulator during spermatogenesis, is aberrantly activated in human male liver cancers. This study investigated the in vitro oncogenic effect and the possible mechanism of RBMY in human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and its in vivo effect with regards to the livers of human and transgenic mice. RBMY expression in HepG2 cells was knocked down by RNA interference and the cancer cell phenotype was characterized by soft-agar colony formation and sensitivity to hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis. The results revealed that RBMY knockdown reduced the transformation and anti-

SUBMITTER: Tsuei DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3208560 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature