Dickkopf-1 is an epigenetically silenced candidate tumor suppressor gene in medulloblastoma

Neuro Oncol. 2007 Apr;9(2):135-44. doi: 10.1215/15228517-2006-038. Epub 2007 Feb 28.

Abstract

Medulloblastoma is a heterogeneous pediatric brain tumor with significant therapy-related morbidity, its five-year survival rates ranging from 30% to 70%. Improvement in diagnosis and therapy requires better understanding of medulloblastoma pathology. We used whole-genome microarray analysis to identify putative tumor suppressor genes silenced by epigenetic mechanisms in medulloblastoma. This analysis yielded 714 up-regulated genes in immortalized medulloblastoma cell line D283 on treatment with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA). Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a Wnt antagonist, was found to be up-regulated on HDAC inhibition. We examined DKK1 expression in primary medulloblastoma cells and patient samples by reverse transcriptase PCR and found it to be significantly down-regulated relative to normal cerebellum. Transfection of a DKK1 gene construct into D283 cell lines suppressed medulloblastoma tumor growth in colony focus assays by 60% (P < 0.001). In addition, adenoviral vector-mediated expression of DKK1 in medulloblastoma cells increased apoptosis fourfold (P < 0.001). These data reveal that inappropriate histone modifications might deregulate DKK1 expression in medulloblastoma tumorigenesis and block its tumor-suppressive activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / mortality
  • Chromatin / genetics
  • Colony-Forming Units Assay
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects*
  • Gene Silencing
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor*
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Humans
  • Hydroxamic Acids / pharmacology
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics*
  • Medulloblastoma / genetics*
  • Medulloblastoma / mortality
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Survival Analysis
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Chromatin
  • DKK1 protein, human
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Hydroxamic Acids
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • trichostatin A