The influence of one-carbon metabolism on gene promoter methylation in a population-based breast cancer study.

ABSTRACT: Abnormal methylation in gene promoters is a hallmark of the cancer genome; however, factors that may influence promoter methylation have not been well elucidated. As the one-carbon metabolism pathway provides the universal methyl donor for methylation reactions, perturbation of this pathway might influence DNA methylation and, ultimately, affect gene functions. Utilizing approximately 800 breast cancer tumor tissues from a large population-based study, we investigated the relationships between dietary and genetic factors involved in the one-carbon metabolism pathway and promoter methylation of a panel of 13 breast cancer-related genes. We found that CCND2, HIN1 and CHD1 were the most "dietary sensitive" genes, as methylation of their promoters was associated with intakes of at least two ou

SUBMITTER: Xu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3242810 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature