CpG island methylation status in the EpCAM promoter region and gene expression

  • Authors:
    • Guolong Yu
    • Xiangzhong Zhang
    • Huaqiao Wang
    • Derong Rui
    • Aihua Yin
    • Geng Qiu
    • Yunshao He
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: November 1, 2008     https://doi.org/10.3892/or_00000110
  • Pages: 1061-1067
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Abstract

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) gene has been found to be highly expressed in carcinomas of various origins; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the transcriptional regulation of EpCAM remain poorly understood. The purpose of this experiment was to study the relationship between EpCAM gene overexpression and CpG island methylation status in the promoter region in cell cultures and normal colon epithelial and colorectal cancer tissues. Real-time quantitative PCR and bisulfite sequencing PCR were employed to detect EpCAM gene expression and to analyze the methylation status of the CpG islands. In addition, EpCAM gene expression and methylation status of CpG islands were studied in promoter methylation cell lines treated with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. It was found that most CpG dinucleotides were unmethylated in cell lines and cancer tissues where the EpCAM gene was highly expressed whereas most CpG dinucleotides were methylated in EpCAM gene unexpressed cell lines and normal colon tissues. When cells were treated with demethylating agent, CpG islands were demethylated, although EpCAM gene expression did not increase suggesting that unmethylation of the EpCAM promoter region was not responsible for EpCAM overexpression. The results of the study described herein suggest that unmethylation of the EpCAM promoter region was associated with EpCAM overexpression; however, it was not responsible for EpCAM overexpression by itself. Further research is required to determine which factors are responsible for EpCAM gene expression.

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November 2008
Volume 20 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Yu G, Zhang X, Wang H, Rui D, Yin A, Qiu G and He Y: CpG island methylation status in the EpCAM promoter region and gene expression. Oncol Rep 20: 1061-1067, 2008
APA
Yu, G., Zhang, X., Wang, H., Rui, D., Yin, A., Qiu, G., & He, Y. (2008). CpG island methylation status in the EpCAM promoter region and gene expression. Oncology Reports, 20, 1061-1067. https://doi.org/10.3892/or_00000110
MLA
Yu, G., Zhang, X., Wang, H., Rui, D., Yin, A., Qiu, G., He, Y."CpG island methylation status in the EpCAM promoter region and gene expression". Oncology Reports 20.5 (2008): 1061-1067.
Chicago
Yu, G., Zhang, X., Wang, H., Rui, D., Yin, A., Qiu, G., He, Y."CpG island methylation status in the EpCAM promoter region and gene expression". Oncology Reports 20, no. 5 (2008): 1061-1067. https://doi.org/10.3892/or_00000110