SOX2 is frequently downregulated in gastric cancers and inhibits cell growth through cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis

• Published in: British journal of cancer 2008-02, Vol.98 (4), p.824-831
• Main Authors: Otsubo, T, Akiyama, Y, Yanagihara, K, Yuasa, Y
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blotting, Western; Cancer Research; Caspases - metabolism; Cell Cycle; Cell growth; Cell Proliferation; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; DNA Methylation; DNA-Binding Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Down-Regulation; Drug Resistance; Epidemiology; Flow Cytometry; Gastric cancer; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Silencing; Genes; HMGB Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; HMGB Proteins - genetics; HMGB Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medical sciences; Molecular Diagnostics; Molecular Medicine; Oncology; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Retinoblastoma Protein; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA, Small Interfering - pharmacology; SOXB1 Transcription Factors; Stomach Neoplasms - metabolism; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Transcription factors; Transcription Factors - antagonists & inhibitors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604193

SOX transcription factors are essential for embryonic development and play critical roles in cell fate determination, differentiation and proliferation. We previously reported that the SOX2 protein is expressed in normal gastric mucosae but downregulated in some human gastric carcinomas. To clarify the roles of SOX2 in gastric carcinogenesis, we carried out functional characterisation of SOX2 in gastric epithelial cell lines. Exogenous expression of SOX2 suppressed cell proliferation in gastric epithelial cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that SOX2-overexpressing cells exhibited cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. We found that SOX2-mediated cell-cycle arrest was associated with decreased levels of cyclin D1 and phosphorylated Rb, and an increased p27 Kip1 level. These cells exhibited further characteristics of apoptosis, such as DNA laddering and caspase-3 activation. SOX2 hypermethylation signals were observed in some cultured and primary gastric cancers with no or weak SOX2 expression. Among the 52 patients with advanced gastric cancers, those with cancers showing SOX2 methylation had a significantly shorter survival time than those without this methylation ( P =0.0062). Hence, SOX2 plays important roles in growth inhibition through cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells, and the loss of SOX2 expression may be related to gastric carcinogenesis and poor prognosis.