4013

VWA5A

BCSC-1|BCSC1|LOH11CR2A;von Willebrand factor A domain containing 5A;VWA5A;von Willebrand factor A domain containing 5A

breast cancer suppressor candidate 1|loss of heterozygosity 11 chromosomal region 2 gene A protein|loss of heterozygosity, 11, chromosomal region 2, gene A|ortholog of mouse AW551984|von Willebrand factor A domain-containing protein 5A

11q24.1

protein-coding

Frequent allelic loss at human chromosome 11q23-q24 occurs in a wide variety of cancers, suggesting that this region may harbor a tumor suppressor gene. By constructing a physical map of the LOH11CR2 minimal region of loss on 11q23-q24 associated with lung and breast carcinomas, we were able to clone a hereditary translocation, t(11;12)(q23;q24), in a patient with early-onset breast cancer and family history of cancer. The breakpoint was found within 6 kb of the BCSC-1 candidate tumor suppressor gene located in the LOH11CR2 region whereas additional loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis in breast and ovarian tumors, including that of the patient with the t(11;12)(q23;q24), implicated the BCSC-1 locus as the primary target of deletion. Northern analysis of the BCSC-1 mRNA revealed a lack of expression in 33 of 41 (80%) tumor cell lines, and its ectopic expression led to the suppression of colony formation in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. These data suggest that BCSC-1 may exert a tumor suppressor activity and is a likely target of the LOH observed on 11q23-q24 in cancer.

BCSC-1 is dramatically upregulated in CNE-2L2 human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells with reduced malignancy (AS cells) and is proposed to be a candidate tumor suppressor gene. We therefore examined the effect of BCSC-1 expression on malignant behaviors of CNE-2L2 cells. Growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in nude mice of wild-type CNE-2L2 cells (W cells) were inhibited by ectopic BCSC-1, and those of AS cells were promoted by BCSC-1 suppression. The tumor suppressor function of BCSC-1 was further confirmed by a study showing that intratumor BCSC-1 injection caused growth suppression of the tumor from W cells inoculated in nude mice. Immunohistochemistry exhibited marked reduction of BCSC-1 expression in 11 of 39 human nasopharyngeal carcinoma specimens. Because BCSC-1 expression was as rich as that in normal cells in the rest of the carcinoma specimens and was poor in CNE-2L2 cells, HNE-1 human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells with rich BCSC-1 expression were used as a control in the study. No effect of BCSC-1 transfection on growth of the cells was observed. The data suggest that BCSC-1 suppression might play roles in tumorigenesis of some nasopharyngeal carcinomas and that BCSC-1 might be a potential gene therapy target in nasopharyngeal carcinomas with poor BCSC-1 expression. Enhanced aggregation of cells together with increased E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression and reduced Wnt signaling might be involved in the mechanisms of tumor suppressor function of BCSC-1.

BCSC-1 is dramatically upregulated in CNE-2L2 human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells with reduced malignancy (AS cells) and is proposed to be a candidate tumor suppressor gene. We therefore examined the effect of BCSC-1 expression on malignant behaviors of CNE-2L2 cells. Growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in nude mice of wild-type CNE-2L2 cells (W cells) were inhibited by ectopic BCSC-1, and those of AS cells were promoted by BCSC-1 suppression. The tumor suppressor function of BCSC-1 was further confirmed by a study showing that intratumor BCSC-1 injection caused growth suppression of the tumor from W cells inoculated in nude mice. Immunohistochemistry exhibited marked reduction of BCSC-1 expression in 11 of 39 human nasopharyngeal carcinoma specimens. Because BCSC-1 expression was as rich as that in normal cells in the rest of the carcinoma specimens and was poor in CNE-2L2 cells, HNE-1 human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells with rich BCSC-1 expression were used as a control in the study. No effect of BCSC-1 transfection on growth of the cells was observed. The data suggest that BCSC-1 suppression might play roles in tumorigenesis of some nasopharyngeal carcinomas and that BCSC-1 might be a potential gene therapy target in nasopharyngeal carcinomas with poor BCSC-1 expression. Enhanced aggregation of cells together with increased E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression and reduced Wnt signaling might be involved in the mechanisms of tumor suppressor function of BCSC-1.