Simultaneous Quantitation of Topoisomerase II α and β Isoform mRNAs in Lung Tumor Cells and Normal and Malignant Lung Tissue

• Published in: Laboratory investigation 2000-06, Vol.80 (6), p.787-795
• Main Authors: Mirski, Shelagh E L, Voskoglou-Nomikos, Theodora, Young, Leah C, Deeley, Roger G, Campling, Barbara G, Gerlach, James H, Cole, Susan P C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antigens, Neoplasm; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - enzymology; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - genetics; DNA Topoisomerases, Type II - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins; Humans; Isoenzymes - genetics; Laboratory Medicine; Lung - enzymology; Lung Neoplasms - enzymology; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Molecular Sequence Data; Pathology; Pneumology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - analysis; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
• ISSN: 0023-6837; 1530-0307
• DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.3780083

Certain drugs used in the treatment of lung cancer and other human malignancies are cytotoxic because of their ability to interact with the two isoforms of topoisomerase II (topo II), topo IIα and topo IIβ. As part of an effort to evaluate the contribution of topo II alterations to drug sensitivity and resistance in lung cancer, we have developed a semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to measure levels of topo II α and β mRNAs simultaneously using a single pair of primers with sequences common to both isoforms. The PCR products derived from the topo II α and β mRNAs are both 446 bp but have different electrophoretic mobilities in a nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel, allowing sensitive, rapid quantitation when the products are radiolabeled with [35S]-dATP. Using this RT-PCR method, poly(A+) RNA from 13 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines was analyzed. The results obtained indicated that the cell lines express a wide range of topo IIα mRNA levels (12-fold) and topo IIβ mRNA levels (5.5-fold). Tumor and normal lung tissues from 25 patients with NSCLC were also examined. In the tumor samples, the levels of the topo II α and β mRNAs were similar. However, mean topo IIα mRNA levels in the tumors were approximately 7-fold higher than those of the paired normal lung tissues. In contrast, topo IIβ mRNA levels were similar in both tumor and normal lung. Topo II α and β mRNA levels were both significantly lower in the squamous cell tumors than in the adenocarcinoma samples. Topo IIβ mRNA levels in the squamous cell tumors were also significantly lower than those in paired normal lung tissue. The RT-PCR method described is reliable and convenient, and for the first time, makes the rapid simultaneous direct comparison of topo IIα and topo IIβ mRNA levels feasible in large numbers of clinical samples.