A previously uncharacterized gene, DBC2 (deleted in breast cancer), was cloned from a homozygously deleted region at human chromosome 8p21. DBC2 contains a highly conserved RAS domain and two putative protein interacting domains. Our analyses indicate that DBC2 is the best candidate tumor suppressor gene from this region. It lies within the epicenter of the deletions and is homozygously deleted in 3.5% (7͞200) of breast tumors. Mutation analysis of DBC2 led to discovery of two instances of somatic missense mutations in breast tumor specimens, whereas no missense mutations were found in other candidates from the region. Unlike other genes in the region, expression of DBC2 is often extinguished in breast cancer cells or tissues. Moreover, our functional analysis revealed that DBC2 expression in breast cancer cells lacking DBC2 transcripts causes growth inhibition. By contrast, expression of a somatic mutant discovered in a breast cancer specimen does not suppress the growth of breast cancer cells.

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SummaryDBC2 is a tumor suppressor gene linked to breast and lung cancers. Although DBC2 belongs to the RHO GTPase family, it has a unique structure that contains a Broad-Complex/Tramtrack/Bric a Brac (BTB) domain at the C terminus instead of a typical CAAX motif. A limited number of functional studies on DBC2 have indicated its participation in diverse cellular activities such as ubiquitination, cell cycle control, cytoskeleton organization and protein transport. In this paper, DBC2's role in protein transport was analyzed using vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSVG) fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP). We discovered that DBC2 knockdown hinders the VSVG transport system in 293 cells. Previous literature demonstrates that VSVG is transported via the microtubule motor complex. We demonstrate that DBC2 mobility also depends on an intact microtubule network. We conclude that DBC2 plays an essential role in microtubule-mediated VSVG transport from ER to Golgi apparatus.

The expression of tumor suppressor gene DBC2 causes certain breast cancer cells to stop growing [M. Hamaguchi, J.L. Meth, C. Von Klitzing, W. Wei, D. Esposito, L. Rodgers, T. Walsh, P. Welcsh, M.C. King, M.H. Wigler, DBC2, a candidate for a tumor suppressor gene involved in breast cancer, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99 (2002) 13647-13652]. Recently, DBC2 was found to participate in diverse cellular functions such as protein transport, cytoskeleton regulation, apoptosis, and cell cycle control [V. Siripurapu, J.L. Meth, N. Kobayashi, M. Hamaguchi, DBC2 significantly influences cell cycle, apoptosis, cytoskeleton, and membrane trafficking pathways. J. Mol. Biol. 346 (2005) 83-89]. Its tumor suppression mechanism, however, remains unclear. In this paper, we demonstrate that DBC2 suppresses breast cancer proliferation through down-regulation of Cyclin D1 (CCND1). Additionally, the constitutional overexpression of CCND1 prevented the negative impact of DBC2 expression on their growth. Under a CCND1 promoter, the expression of CCNE1 exhibited the same protective effect. Our results indicate that the down-regulation of CCND1 is an essential step for DBC2's growth suppression of cancer cells. We believe that this discovery contributes to a better understanding of DBC2's tumor suppressor function.

Since a considerably high incidence of allelic loss on chromosome 2q was detected in lung carcinoma and a homozygous deletion at chromosome 2q33 was detected in a small cell lung carcinoma cell line, NCI-H82, a novel tumor suppressor gene has been suggested to be present in this chromosomal region. In the present study, we constructed a cosmid contig map covering the homozygous deleted region, which was estimated as being 220 kbp in size, and identified a gene from the deleted region. All of the coding exons of this gene were homozygously deleted in this cell line, while a 5'-non-coding exons was retained. Since the gene encodes a protein with striking similarity to several members of a family of phospholipase C, we designated this gene as PLC-L (phospholipase C-deleted in lung carcinoma). The PLC-L gene was expressed in a variety of fetal and adult organs including the lung. However, its expression was greatly reduced in seven of 13 (53.8%) of small cell lung carcinoma and 13 of 15 (86.7%) of non-small cell lung carcinoma cell lines. Since its homology to phospholipase C genes suggests the involvement of the PLC-L gene in inositol phospholipid-based intracellular signaling cascade, it is possible that aberrant expression of the PLC-L gene contributes to the genesis or progression of human lung carcinoma.

The effects of moderate, chronic (5 days) potassium depletion on cardiac function were assessed in 14 normokalemic and 13 hypokalemic open chest, anesthetized dogs. Cardiac responses to intravenous bolus injection of 2.5 micrograms/kg body weight epinephrine (10 normokalemic and 11 hypokalemic dogs) and to rapidly increased preload (8 dogs in each group) were evaluated. Hypokalemic dogs received a low potassium diet plus chlorthalidone. Plasma potassium levels were lower (p less than 0.001) in the hypokalemic dogs (3.2 +/- 0.1 mEq/liter [mean +/- SEM]) than in the normokalemic dogs (4.1 +/- 0.1). The inotropic response to epinephrine was lower in hypokalemic than in normokalemic dogs, the response of the maximal rate of rise of left ventricular pressure was 20% greater (p less than 0.03) and the response of the peak rate of change of ejection power was 60% greater in the normokalemic dogs. The relaxation response to epinephrine (the maximal rate of fall of left ventricular pressure) was 33% lower (p less than 0.02) in hypokalemic dogs. Responses to rapid volume expansion were impaired by hypokalemia; maximal stroke volume index was 31% lower (p less than 0.01), maximal cardiac index was 26% lower (p less than 0.01) and the peak response to the maximal rate of filling was 51% lower (p less than 0.01). There were no differences in basal cardiac function. Therefore, modest potassium depletion within the clinical range impaired the contractile and relaxation responses to epinephrine and preload and impaired rapid filling.

Tumor suppressor gene DBC2 stops growth of tumor cells through regulation of CCND1. Interference of CCND1 down-regulation prevented growth arrest caused by DBC2 [T. Yoshihara, D. Collado, M. Hamaguchi, Cyclin D1 down-regulation is essential for DBC2's tumor suppressor function, Biochemical and biophysical research communications 358 (2007) 1076-1079]. It was also noted that DBC2 resistant cells eventually arose after repeated induction of DBC2 with muristerone A treatment [M. Hamaguchi, J.L. Meth, C. Von Klitzing, W. Wei, D. Esposito, L. Rodgers, T. Walsh, P. Welcsh, M.C. King, M.H. Wigler, DBC2, a candidate for a tumor suppressor gene involved in breast cancer, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99 (2002) 13647-13652]. In order to elucidate the mechanism of resistance acquisition, we analyzed DBC2 sensitive and resistant cells derived from the same progenitor cells (T-47D). We discovered that DBC2 protein was abundantly expressed in the sensitive cells when DBC2 was induced. In contrast, it was undetectable by western blot analysis in the resistant cells. We confirmed that the inducible gene expression system was responsive in both cells by detecting induced GFP. Additionally, inhibition of 26S proteasome by MG132 revealed production of DBC2 protein in the resistant cells. These findings indicate that the resistant T-47D cells survive DBC2 induction by rapid destruction of DBC2 through 26S proteasome-mediated protein degradation.

We have established a highly sensitive and specific exon-trapping system (SETS) with a specific plasmid vector in which an exon in a given DNA segment is identified by its ability to remain as a mature mRNA after splicing. The SETS provides us with the isolation of possible exons rapidly and easily from DNA fragments in chromosomal regions of more than 300 kilobase pairs. Genomic DNA fragments were partially digested and subsequently cloned into plasmid pMHC2, an exon-trapping vector we have constructed. These constructs were transfected into COS-7 cells, and consequent RNA transcripts were spliced in the cells. The resulting mature mRNA was harvested and amplified by using reverse transcription-PCR. Possible exons can be recognized by the sizes of PCR products and cloned into a plasmid vector. The SETS provides a direct means of cloning exons from genomic DNA of more than 300 kilobase pairs within a short period of time. Using this system, we have screened 300-kilobase-pair genomic DNA segments derived from human chromosome 11q13. Human chromosome 11q13 may contain genes responsible for human cancers, because DNA amplification is observed in several malignant tumors. We have successfully identified exon 2 of the HSTI gene and additional transcribed sequences.Detailed genetic and physical maps for human chromosomes have been constructed to determine the chromosomal locations of the genes responsible for many human genetic disorders and cancers. The minimal region in which a gene of interest can be found spans several hundred kilobase pairs. Identification and recovery of transcribed sequences from the region of interest are necessary to isolate candidate genes. This strategy has been successful in isolating a number of candidate genes, including Wilms tumor (1-3), neurofibromatosis type 1 (4, 5), and familial adenomatous polyposis (6, 7).However, available methods for isolation of transcribed sequences from given DNA fragments are inefficient. Those methods most frequently used are interspecies crosshybridization to search for evolutionarily conserved sequences (3, 8). Other methods include search for open reading frames (9), enhancers (10), promoters (11, 12), or hypomethylated CpG islands (13). But none of these strategies involves direct cloning of transcribed sequences.Alternative strategies to isolate transcribed sequences involve direct cloning of human transcripts from human-rodent somatic cell hybrids (14, 15). These strategies, however, also have limitations. Possible transcripts derived from human DNA fragments might not be expressed sufficiently enough to be detected in hybrid cells. It is also not easy to establish those hybrid cell lines that contain only the target human DNA fragments.Two exon-trapping systems based on RNA splicing have been reported and could be important tools for direct cloning of transcribed sequences. However, both of the exontrapping systems reported previously have disadvantages as described below. A strategy using the retroviral shuttle vector system described by Du...