The methylation status of FBXW7 beta-form correlates with histological subtype in human thymoma

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Dec 12;377(2):685-688. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.10.047. Epub 2008 Oct 18.

Abstract

FBXW7 is reported to be a tumor suppressor gene, and the functional inactivation of FBXW7 has been reported in various human tumors. In this study, we investigated the FBXW7 gene in human thymoma; although no mutations were evident, a significantly high frequency of methylation in the FBXW7 beta-form promoter was observed in types B1 or higher (P=0.014). We propose a novel mechanism for the pathogenesis of thymoma by FBXW7 beta-form and hypothesize that expressional suppression plays an important role in the malignant potential of thymoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
  • DNA Methylation*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • F-Box Proteins / genetics*
  • F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Thymoma / classification
  • Thymoma / genetics
  • Thymoma / pathology*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / classification
  • Thymus Neoplasms / genetics
  • Thymus Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics*

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • F-Box Proteins
  • F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7
  • FBXW7 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases