Tumour suppressor activity of human imprinted gene PEG3 in a glioma cell line

Genes Cells. 2001 Mar;6(3):237-47. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2443.2001.00412.x.

Abstract

Background: Mouse imprinted gene Peg3 encodes a large C2H2 type zinc finger protein with unique characteristics. Peg3 knockout mice were found to show an impairment in maternal behaviour of the adult female. Mouse Peg3 is located on the proximal region of chromosome 7 which is syntenic to the long arm of human chromosome 19. It has been reported that a loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosome 19q occurs frequently in several glioma types.

Results: We isolated human PEG3 cDNA. Both human and mouse PEG3 were strongly expressed in the adult brain and the Peg3 protein was localized in the nuclei of both neurones and glial cells. A significant decrease in PEG3 expression was more commonly observed in glioma cell lines as compared with that in primary cultures of astrocytes. Transfection of PEG3 cDNA in a glioma cell line resulted in a loss of tumorigenicity in nude mice.

Conclusions: The human PEG3 gene is a paternally expressed imprinted gene. Introduction of PEG3 cDNA into the glioma cells suggests that human PEG3 protein functions as a tumour suppressor. Human PEG3 is located on 19q13.4 and is one of the candidates for tumour suppressor genes that are predicted to be sited in gliomas.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 5' Untranslated Regions / genetics
  • Alternative Splicing / genetics
  • Animals
  • Brain / growth & development
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor*
  • Genomic Imprinting / genetics*
  • Glioma / chemistry
  • Glioma / genetics*
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • Protein Kinases*
  • Proteins / genetics*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Proteins / physiology
  • Transcription Factors*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • 5' Untranslated Regions
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • PEG3 protein, human
  • Peg3 protein, mouse
  • Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Protein Kinases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB003039
  • GENBANK/AB003040