Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes Associated with Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis

• Published in: European surgical research Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 327 - 336
• Main Authors: Li, S.-R., Dorudi, Sina, Bustin, S. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.07.2003; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - secondary; DNA Methylation; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Gene Library; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Original Paper; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumors; Promoter methylation; Suppression subtractive hybridisation; Differential gene expression; Colorectal cancer liver metastasis; Human; Rectal disease; Liver; Hepatic disease; Genotype; Metastasis; Malignant tumor; Gene expression; Genetic determinism; Colonic disease; Promoter; Messenger RNA; Rectum; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Colon; Methylation; Tumor suppressor gene
• ISSN: 0014-312X; 1421-9921
• DOI: 10.1159/000070603

The molecular mechanisms underlying successful metastasis of primary colorectal tumour to the liver remain unknown. We have used suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) and reverse Northern dot blot analysis to profile the mRNA expression patterns of a primary colorectal cancer and its liver metastasis. After SSH and reverse Northern dot blot analysis, differential expression was confirmed in 17 clones from the forward, and 13 clones from the reverse subtracted cDNA library. Four clones showed no significant sequence identities with any known sequences in the GenBank data base and likely to represent novel genes whose up- or down-regulation is associated with colorectal liver metastasis. Interestingly, one of the 13 down-regulated clones displayed 99% sequence identity with the BRCA1 tumour suppressor gene. Since promoter methylation is a direct cause of transcription silencing of the BRCA1 gene in approximately 10–20% of human breast cancer we further investigated its promoter methylation status in ten primary colorectal tumour samples, but revealed no evidence of promoter methylation.