Studies On Genes Down-regulated In Human Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the digestive system in the world. The genetic changes in esophageal cancer have been reported as point mutations of p53 and p16, amplification of int-2, hst-1, cyclin D and EGFR, as well as loss of heterozygosity of Rb. But to date, the molecular basis underlying the transformation of normal esophageal epithelia to squamous carcinoma of the esophagus is not well understood. Identifying esophageal cancer related-genes is still an important project in exploring the mechanism of esophageal cancer.In the present study, we have isolated and characterized 10 cDNA fragments down-regulated in esophageal cancer compared to matched adjacent normal mucosa using the mRNA differential display techniques. Of the cDNAs, such as SPRR3, SPRR1, S100 calcium-binding proteins are the compositions of the comified envelope (CE), an important barrier for the epithelial cells. We have found these genes were dramatically down-regulated in esophageal cancer. Interestingly, the enzyme TGM3 catalyzing the substrates to form the comified envelope was also found down-regulated in esophageal cancer. All the results suggested that the impediment of comified envelope forming was probably associated with the carcinogenesis of esophageal epithelia. To investigate the precise function of novel gene C15orf6 down-regulated in esophageal cancer, we defined the chromosome locus of C15orf6 by using...