Pituitary tumor-transforming gene (PTTG), which is homologous to a mammalian securin, plays a pivotal role in cell transformation and is overexpressed in numerous cancer cell lines and tissues. PTTG functions in the control of mitosis, cell transformation, DNA repair and gene regulation. In the present study, we investigated whether the expression of PTTG1 is correlated with tumorigenicity and prognosis in glioma patients. Expression of PTTG1 was confirmed in three glioma cell lines at the mRNA and protein levels using RT-PCR analysis and Western blotting, respectively. Furthermore, PTTG1 protein was detected in 44 glioma tissue samples using immunohistochemical techniques, markedly increased in high-grade gliomas compared to low-grade gliomas and associated with an unfavorable patient outcome. Moreover, siRNA against the PTTG1 gene inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in glioma cell lines. These data suggest that increased expression of PTTG1 contributes to the tumorigenicity of glioma cells and may be useful as a prognostic marker for glioma patients.

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