Assignment of the human prohibitin gene (PHB) to chromosome 17 and identification of a DNA polymorphism

Prohibitins: A Key Link between Mitochondria and Nervous System Diseases

Prohibitins (PHBs) are conserved proteins in eukaryotic cells, which are mainly located in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), cell nucleus, and cell membrane. PHBs play crucial roles in various cellular functions, including the cell cycle regulation, tumor suppression, immunoglobulin M receptor binding, and aging. In addition, recent in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed that PHBs are important in nervous system diseases. PHBs can prevent apoptosis, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and autophagy in neurological disorders through different molecules and pathways, such as OPA-1, PINK1/Parkin, IL6/STAT3, Tau, NO, LC3, and TDP43. Therefore, PHBs show great promise in the protection of neurological disorders. This review summarizes the relevant studies on the relationship between PHBs and neurological disorders and provides an update on the molecular mechanisms of PHBs in nervous system diseases.

Significance of prohibitin domain family in tumorigenesis and its implication in cancer diagnosis and treatment

Prohibitin (PHB) was originally isolated and characterized as an anti-proliferative gene in rat liver. The evolutionarily conserved PHB gene encodes two human protein isoforms with molecular weights of ~33 kDa, PHB1 and PHB2. PHB1 and PHB2 belong to the prohibitin domain family, and both are widely distributed in different cellular compartments such as the mitochondria, nucleus, and cell membrane. Most studies have confirmed differential expression of PHB1 and PHB2 in cancers compared to corresponding normal tissues. Furthermore, studies verified that PHB1 and PHB2 are involved in the biological processes of tumorigenesis, including cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. Two small molecule inhibitors, Rocaglamide (RocA) and fluorizoline, derived from medicinal plants, were demonstrated to interact directly with PHB1 and thus inhibit the interaction of PHB with Raf-1, impeding Raf-1/ERK signaling cascades and significantly suppressing cancer cell metastasis. In addition, a short peptide ERAP and a natural product xanthohumol were shown to target PHB2 directly and prohibit cancer progression in estrogen-dependent cancers. As more efficient biomarkers and targets are urgently needed for cancer diagnosis and treatment, here we summarize the functional role of prohibitin domain family proteins, focusing on PHB1 and PHB2 in tumorigenesis and cancer development, with the expectation that targeting the prohibitin domain family will offer more clues for cancer therapy.

Prohibitin: a potential therapeutic target in tyrosine kinase signaling

Prohibitin is a pleiotropic protein that has roles in fundamental cellular processes, such as cellular proliferation and mitochondrial housekeeping, and in cell- or tissue-specific functions, such as adipogenesis and immune cell functions. The different functions of prohibitin are mediated by its cell compartment-specific attributes, which include acting as an adaptor molecule in membrane signaling, a scaffolding protein in mitochondria, and a transcriptional co-regulator in the nucleus. However, the precise relationship between its distinct cellular localization and diverse functions remain largely unknown. Accumulating evidence suggests that the phosphorylation of prohibitin plays a role in a number of cell signaling pathways and in intracellular trafficking. Herein, we discuss the known and potential importance of the site-specific phosphorylation of prohibitin in regulating these features. We will discuss this in the context of new evidence from tissue-specific transgenic mouse models of prohibitin, including a mutant prohibitin lacking a crucial tyrosine phosphorylation site. We conclude with the opinion that prohibitin can be used as a potential target for tyrosine kinase signal transduction-targeting therapy, including in insulin, growth factors, and immune signaling pathways.

The potential function of prohibitin during spermatogenesis in Chinese fire-bellied newt Cynops orientalis

Prohibitin proteins are multifunctional proteins located mainly at the inner membrane of mitochondria expressed in universal species. They play a vital role in mitochondria's function, cell proteolysis, senescence, apoptosis and as a substrate for ubiquitination. In this study, we used PCR cloning, protein and nucleotide acids alignment, protein structure prediction, western blot, in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence to study the characteristics of the prohibitin gene and the potential role of prohibitin in spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis processes in the Chinese fire-bellied newt Cynops orientalis. First, we cloned a 1452-bp full-length cDNA from the testis of Cynops orientalis. Second, we found that the 272 amino acids of prohibitin have a SPFH family domain. Thirdly, the western blots showed high expression of prohibitin in testis while the protein size was approximately 32 kDa. Fourthly, the results of in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence experiments showed that most of the prohibitins travelled with the mitochondria's migration in Cynops orientalis. The quantities of mRNA decreased as spermiogenesis proceeded, although the signals of prohibitins existed during the whole period of spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis. In the mature germ cells, the signals of prohibitins were weak and aggregated at the end of the cell. Finally, we discovered that the Sertoli cells had a large quantity of prohibitins and we made several assumptions of prohibitins' potential roles in those cells. This is the first time that the relationship between mitochondria and prohibitin in different stages of the sperm cells in Cynops orientalis has been examined, which also revealed that Sertoli cells have abundant prohibitins.

Genetic variants associated with adult blood pressure and kidney function do not affect fetal kidney volume. The Generation R Study

BACKGROUND

Smaller kidneys with reduced number of nephrons in early life lead to impaired kidney function and risk for hypertension and chronic kidney disease. These associations might be partly explained by common genetic variation.

AIMS

To assess the associations between common genetic variants, which have recently shown to be associated with blood pressure or kidney function, with fetal kidney volume.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective population based cohort study in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

SUBJECTS

855 children, followed from early fetal life onwards (born 2003-2005).

PREDICTOR

Common genetic variants previously associated with blood pressure or kidney function.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Combined third trimester fetal kidney volume.

RESULTS

After taking into account multiple testing, only rs12940887 (near ZNF652) was significantly associated with fetal kidney volume (β: 0.88 (95% CI: 0.40; 1.37) cm(3) per minor allele, P-value<0.001), but the effect showed the opposite direction as expected. The remaining common genetic variants were not associated with fetal kidney volume. We also did not find associations of genetic variants previously shown to affect newborn kidney volume, with third trimester fetal kidney volume.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that common genetic variants, associated with kidney function or disease and blood pressure, do not affect the third trimester fetal kidney volume. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the associations between small kidney size and increased risks of hypertension and impaired kidney function in adulthood.

Association of PHB 1630 C>T and MTHFR 677 C>T polymorphisms with breast and ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers: results from a multicenter study

BACKGROUND

The variable penetrance of breast cancer in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers suggests that other genetic or environmental factors modify breast cancer risk. Two genes of special interest are prohibitin (PHB) and methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), both of which are important either directly or indirectly in maintaining genomic integrity.

METHODS

To evaluate the potential role of genetic variants within PHB and MTHFR in breast and ovarian cancer risk, 4102 BRCA1 and 2093 BRCA2 mutation carriers, and 6211 BRCA1 and 2902 BRCA2 carriers from the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 (CIMBA) were genotyped for the PHB 1630 C>T (rs6917) polymorphism and the MTHFR 677 C>T (rs1801133) polymorphism, respectively.

RESULTS

There was no evidence of association between the PHB 1630 C>T and MTHFR 677 C>T polymorphisms with either disease for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers when breast and ovarian cancer associations were evaluated separately. Analysis that evaluated associations for breast and ovarian cancer simultaneously showed some evidence that BRCA1 mutation carriers who had the rare homozygote genotype (TT) of the PHB 1630 C>T polymorphism were at increased risk of both breast and ovarian cancer (HR 1.50, 95%CI 1.10-2.04 and HR 2.16, 95%CI 1.24-3.76, respectively). However, there was no evidence of association under a multiplicative model for the effect of each minor allele.

CONCLUSION

The PHB 1630TT genotype may modify breast and ovarian cancer risks in BRCA1 mutation carriers. This association need to be evaluated in larger series of BRCA1 mutation carriers.

The role of prohibitin in cell signaling

Prohibitin-1 (PHB, also known as PHB1), a member of the Band-7 family of proteins, is highly conserved evolutionarily, widely expressed, and present in different cellular compartments. Genetic studies with different organism models have provided strong evidence for an important biological role of PHB in mitochondrial function, cell proliferation, and development. Recent discoveries regarding the involvement of PHB in phophatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling pathways, and earlier reports on the interaction of PHB with Raf and its critical role in Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling opened up the possibility that PHB has functions outside of the mitochondria (extramitochondrial) and may be a multifunctional protein. The PI3K/Akt and Ras/MAPK/ERK signaling cascades are versatile signaling processes that diverge from the same receptor tyrosine kinase root, and are involved in cell metabolism, proliferation, and development. Here, we review the emerging role of PHB and its post-translational modifications in signal transduction pathways, especially in PI3K/Akt and Ras/MAPK/ERK signaling. A recent discovery of opposing effects of PHB on longevity under different metabolic states and its potential connection with insulin/insulin-like growth factor-I signaling is also discussed.

Prohibitin: a potential biomarker for tissue-based detection of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Prohibitin (PHB) was found to be overexpressed in breast cancer and thus is suggested as a biomarker in that disease. A few studies have investigated the PHB expression pattern in gastric cancer by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Uncertainties still existed on whether PHB expression could indicate the differentiation and apoptosis degree of gastric cancer and whether PHB protein as well as anti-PHB antibody could be a biomarker in the serum of the gastric cancer patient. In this study, the expression levels of PHB protein and mRNA of the tissues as well as PHB antigen and anti-PHB antibody in serum of patients with gastric cancer were systemically examined.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR were used to detect expression levels of PHB protein and mRNA in gastric cancer tissues. Recombinant PHB antigen was identified by Western blotting. The expression of PHB antigen and anti-PHB antibody was investigated by ELISA and TRFIA. Bcl-2 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

By immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR analyses, PHB protein and mRNA were both overexpressed in gastric cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal gastric tissues (P < 0.01). Moreover, an elevated PHB expression pattern paralleled the differentiation degree and Bcl-2 protein expression in gastric cancer. However, no significant differences of PHB protein and anti-PHB antibody expression were detected in serum of gastric cancer patients and that of healthy volunteers.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that PHB could be a potential diagnostic and differentiation biomarker of gastric cancer for tissue-based detection by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR, but not for serum-based detection.

Do BRCA1 modifiers also affect the risk of breast cancer in non-carriers?

We studied whether or not single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which have been shown to modify the risk of breast cancer in women with a BRCA1 mutation, are associated with cancer risk in unselected (non-hereditary) breast cancer patients. We genotyped seven SNPs in six distinct genes (PHB, RAD51, ITGB3, TGFB1, VEGF, MTHFR) in 1100 unselected Polish breast cancer patients and 1100 controls. The frequencies of genotypes were similar in cases and controls. In a subgroup analysis, we found a positive association between the homozygous genotype PHB 1630C/T and medullary breast cancer (odds ratio (OR)=4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-14.0). PHB 1630C/T was also associated with tumours negative for oestrogen receptor (OR=2.2, 95% CI 1.13-4.4) or progesterone receptor (OR=2.8, 95% CI 1.4-5.8). Our results show that, in general, the single nucleotide polymorphisms which modify the risk of hereditary breast cancer in Poland do not modify the risk of sporadic breast cancer. The PHB 1630 C/T single nucleotide polymorphism was associated with breast cancers with clinical features typical for BRCA1-positive tumours and is deserving of further study.

Protein expression profiles in the epidermis of cyclooxygenase-2 transgenic mice by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

Exposure of murine skin to tumor-promoting agents such as 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) causes up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and increased prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. Pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 significantly reduces skin tumor development. However, we previously demonstrated that K14.COX-2 transgenic (TG) mice that overexpressed COX-2 in the epidermis were unexpectedly resistant to tumor development under the classical 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-TPA protocol. In the present study, we employed a proteomic approach of 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry to profile differentially expressed proteins in the epidermis of K14.COX-2 TG and wild-type control mice. Various 2-DE approaches were used to identify the maximum number of differentially expressed proteins: 20 for untreated samples, 3 for acetone-treated samples, and 22 for TPA-treated samples. These proteins include 14-3-3 sigma, numerous actin fragments, actin filament related proteins cofilin-1 and destrin, galectin-3, galectin-7, prohibitin, S100A6, S100A9, and many others. The differential expression of galectin-3, galectin-7, S100A9 was validated by Western blot analysis and/or immunohistochemical analysis. The current data suggest that some of the differentially expressed proteins might increase apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, which, in turn, may provide insight into the role of COX-2 in skin tumorigenesis.

The 3′ untranslated region C > T polymorphism of prohibitin is a breast cancer risk modifier in Polish women carrying a BRCA1 mutation

The variable penetrance of breast cancer in BRCA1 mutation carriers suggests that other genetic or environmental factors modify breast cancer risk. The C to T transition in the 3' untranslated region of the prohibitin (PHB) gene alters mRNA function and has been shown to be associated with an increased breast cancer risk among young North-American women who have one first-degree relative with breast cancer. To investigate whether the PHB 3'UTR polymorphism acts as a modifier of hereditary breast cancer risk we performed a case-control study among female BRCA1 mutation carriers, which included 258 cases and 258 controls who were unaffected by ovarian cancer, in situ breast carcinoma or any other type of cancer. Controls were matched to cases by year of birth and BRCA1 mutation (5382insC, 300 T > G, 4153delA). Genotyping analysis was performed using RFLP-PCR. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using conditional and penalised univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable penalised logistic regression revealed CT (OR(adj), 2.03; 95% CI, 1.17-3.59) and combined CT + TT (OR(adj), 2.12; 95% CI, 1.23-3.70) genotypes as significant modifiers of breast cancer risk. Breast cancer risk did not differ between carriers of the 300 T > G and 5382insC mutation. Our results suggest that the PHB 3'UTR T allele increases the risk of breast cancer in patients who are already at increased risk of disease.

Regulation of Prohibitin Expression During Follicular Development and Atresia in the Mammalian Ovary1

Prohibitin is a ubiquitous and highly conserved protein implicated as an important regulator in cell survival. Prohibitin content is inversely associated with cell proliferation, but it increases during granulosa cell differentiation as well as in earlier events of apoptosis in a temperature-sensitive granulosa cell line. In the present study, we have characterized the spatial expression patterns for prohibitin using established in vivo models for the induction of follicular development and atresia in the mammalian ovary. Comparative Western blot analyses of granulosa cell lysates from control ovaries and from ovaries primed with eCG or treated with eCG plus anti-eCG (gonadotropin withdrawal) were conducted. Prohibitin was immunolocalized in rat ovarian sections probed with antibodies against either proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) or cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 (P450(scc)) or in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeled sections. Additionally, porcine oocytes, zygotes, and blastocyts were also immunolocalized with prohibitin antibody. Immunolocalization revealed the presence of prohibitin in granulosa cells, theca-interstitial cells, and the oocyte. The results indicate that prohibitin protein expression in the gonadotropin-treated cells was upregulated. Immunoreactivity of prohibitin was inversely related to PCNA expression during follicular maturation and colocalized with P450(scc). Prohibitin appeared to be translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in atretic follicles, germinal vesicle-stage oocytes, zygotes, and blastocysts. These results suggest that prohibitin has several functional regulatory roles in granulosa and theca-interstitial cells and in the ovum during follicular maturation and atresia. It is likely that prohibitin may play an important role in determining the fate of these cells and eventual follicular destiny.

Single nucleotide polymorphism in prohibitin 3' untranslated region and breast-cancer susceptibility

The RNA encoded by the 3' untranslated region of the prohibitin gene arrests cell proliferation by blocking the transition between the G1 and S phases of the cell cycle. The product of a variant allele (T allele) is inactive. We did a case-control study of prohibitin genotype in 205 women with breast cancer and 1046 healthy controls. The results showed an association between the T allele and breast cancer in women who reported a first-degree relative with the disease (odds ratio 2.5, p=0.005). An even stronger association was found in a subset of women diagnosed at or before age 50 years (4.8, p=0.003). These data suggest that prohibitin genotyping has value in assessing risk of breast cancer in women aged 50 years or younger with at least one first-degree relative with the disease.

Cloning and characterisation of a prohibitin gene from infective larvae of the parasitic nematode Toxocara canis

Infective larvae of the parasitic nematode Toxocara canis express an mRNA (Tc-pro-1) encoding a predicted protein that shares significant homology with prohibitin, a protein involved in inhibition of cell proliferation - The closest homologues of Tc-pro-1 include an expressed sequence tag (EST) from Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila L2Cc, a protein thought to be essential for larval development and moulting. Other homologues include prohibitin from rat and human and an EST from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Parasite life cycles generally include periods of developmental arrest, which in the larvae of T. canis may persist for many years without loss of metabolic activity. This report of the first full-length gene encoding prohibitin from a parasitic nematode raises interesting suggestions about the potential role of prohibitin in diapause and in the regulation of moulting in development.

Immunolocalization and expression of prohibitin, a mitochondrial associated protein within the rat ovaries

This study was designed to determine the cellular distribution and pattern of expression for the mitochondria-associated protein, prohibitin, during the transitional stages of follicular differentiation within the rat ovary. Immunohistochemical staining techniques were used on frozen sections to examine the localization of prohibitin to preantral, antral, preovulatory, and atretic follicles. Prohibitin localization was also determined in corpus luteum from adult rats, in addition to those from infant and juvenile ovaries, before and after gonadotropin stimulation. Western and Northern blotting techniques were used for qualitative and quantitative assessment of prohibitin expression levels within the ovary. Prohibitin was localized within granulosa cells of infant and juvenile ovaries in a relatively heterogeneous staining pattern. The oocyte also exhibited robust prohibitin expression at all stages of follicular development. In addition, strong prohibitin expression was evident in the corpus luteum as well as in follicles undergoing atresia. Additional data derived from studies involving a GnRH-agonist indicate that increases in prohibitin protein expression correlate with the initial events of apoptosis. Collectively, these results support a growth regulatory role for prohibitin within the rat ovary. Therefore, we propose that prohibitin may serve as an important regulator of granulosa cell fate during follicular development.

Analysis of differential protein expression in normal and neoplastic human breast epithelial cell lines

High-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and database analysis was used to establish protein expression patterns for cultured normal human mammary epithelial cells and thirteen breast cancer cell lines. The Human Breast Epithelial Cell database contains the 2-DE protein patterns, including relative protein abundances, for each cell line, plus a composite pattern that contains all the common and specifically expressed proteins from all the cell lines. Significant differences in protein expression, both qualitative and quantitative, were observed not only between normal cells and tumor cells, but also among the tumor cell lines. Eight percent (56/727) of the consistently detected proteins were found in significantly (P< 0.001) variable levels among the cell lines. Eight proteins present in normal cultured breast epithelial cells were not detected in any of the tumor cell lines. We identified a subset of the differentially expressed proteins using a combination of immunostaining, protein sequencing, comigration, and subcellular fractionation. These identified proteins include the intermediate filament components vimentin and cytokeratins. The cell lines can be classified into four distinct groups based on their intermediate filament protein profile. We also identified heat shock proteins; hsp27 and hsp60 varied in abundance and in some cases in the relative phosphorylation levels among the cell lines. Many of the differentially expressed proteins we identified have roles in cellular proliferation and differentiation, including annexin V, elongation initiation factor 5A, Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor, and prohibitin. We identified inosine-5-monophosphate dehydrogenase in each of the cell lines, and found the levels of this enzyme in the tumor cell lines elevated 2- to 20-fold relative to the levels in normal cells. These results expand the human breast epithelial cell protein database (http:// www.anl.gov/CMB/PMG) which is being built to assist researchers with the identification of abnormal patterns of expression and pathways associated with malignancy.

Partial cloning of prohibitin cDNA from canine, feline, bovine, equine, and rabbit liver mRNA by RT-PCR

Prohibitin is the protein which has an inhibitory function in cell growth, and its gene is suggested to be one of putative tumor suppressor genes. In this report, we described a partial cloning of prohibitin cDNAs from canine, feline, bovine, equine, and rabbit liver mRNAs by RT-PCR, and their homology analysis. The sequences of these RT-PCR products were compared with each other as well as those reported for human and rat. The homology in this region of prohibitin cDNA was approximately 90%, and the amino acid sequence of each RT-PCR product shared more than 95% identity. Therefore, it is concluded that all the RT-PCR products are a part of prohibitin cDNA of each animal.

Prohibitin and the senescent phenotype

Prohibitin is an evolutionarily conserved gene that has antiproliferative activity, is ubiquitously expressed, and appears to be essential for cell survival. The gene codes for a 30 kD, post-synthetically modified protein located primarily in the mitochondria. It functionally inhibits cell cycle traverse and DNA synthesis, but its mechanism of action is presently unknown. Prohibitin is proposed to be a member of a new class of tumor suppressor genes whose inhibitory activity plays a role in the dominant senescent phenotype. Its involvement in senescence has been postulated from results obtained from such diverse systems as yeast and human diploid fibroblasts. Additional data show that prohibitin is involved in one of the limited number of pathways that results in the loss of the senescent phenotype and leads to cellular immortalization. Its involvement, however, occurs downstream in the pathway and is postulated to be part of the lost tumor suppressor activities associated with tumorigenicity.

Regions of evolutionary conservation between the rat and human prohibitin-encoding genes

We have analyzed and compared the 5' promoter region, the intron structure and the exon-intron flanking sequences in the rat and human prohibitin-encoding genes (PHB). Comparative analysis of a 350-nt region immediately 5' to and including the first exon identifies eight highly conserved regions, four of which correspond to binding sites for known transcriptional control proteins (CCAAT box, 'SV40' site and two Sp1 sites). The promoter lacks a TATA box. Four transcription start points (tsp) clustered within a 35-bp region were identified by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The exon-intron boundaries in rat and human are highly conserved, with identical positioning of splice junctions. PCR analysis with conserved exon primers was used to detect length variation between rat and human PHB, and length differences were observed in all of the introns.

Karyotypic heterogeneity and its relation to labeling index in interphase breast tumor cells

We have used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome-specific probes and immunofluorescent detection of in vivo bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) incorporation to evaluate simultaneously numerical chromosome aberrations and proliferative activity of breast cancers. The number of distinct hybridization domains specific for repetitive pericentromeric sequences on chromosomes 1, 7, 11, 15, 17, and X was used as an indicator of copy number of these chromosomes in interphase tumor cells from 23 human breast cancers. Every tumor analyzed showed a heterogeneous distribution of copy number for at least one chromosome type. The copy number distribution for different chromosomes within a tumor frequently showed differing patterns. Major cell populations showing monosomy were relatively rare, occurring only in five cases for chromosome 17, once for chromosome 1, and once for chromosome 15. Flow cytometric analysis of DNA ploidy correlated well with FISH analysis, although flow cytometry failed to detect aneuploidy when only a few chromosomes were affected. To determine whether cell populations with different chromosomal copy numbers have identical proliferation characteristics in vivo, BrdUrd incorporation and centromeric copy number were detected simultaneously. Comparison of the chromosome copy number distribution in BrdUrd-positive cells vs. the distribution of the entire cell population showed different distributions in seven of the 20 cases analyzed. This study demonstrates the common occurrence of chromosome copy number heterogeneity and suggests that a cell phenotype (proliferation) may be associated with genotypic subpopulations.

Frequent loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 17 at 17q11.2-q12 in Barrett's adenocarcinoma

Allelic loss on chromosome 17 in 18 Barrett's oesophageal tumours was analysed with 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of one or more markers was seen in 72% (13 of 18) tumours on 17p and 56% (10 of 18) on 17q. The highest 17p losses were found at D17S799 (62%, five of eight) and D17S261 (55%, five of nine), while loss at the p53 locus was 31% (5 of 16). The highest loss on 17q was found at the TCF-2 (17q11.2-q12) locus with 66% (8 of 12) LOH. TCF-2 was the only marker lost in two of the tumour samples; furthermore, TCF-2 was lost in four other tumours which retained heterozygosity at the markers on either side of it, D17S261 and D17S740. Six markers were used to assess LOH at 17q11.2-q12, and five of eight of the tumour specimens which had LOH at TCF-2 had no other loss on 17q. No statistically significant correlations were found between loss on 17q or 17p and any clinicopathological parameters. We propose from these data that the 17q11.2-q12 region contains a novel predisposing gene in Barrett's adenocarcinomas and may represent the site of a tumour-suppressor gene.

Prohibitin: potential role in senescence, development, and tumor suppression

Prohibitin is an evolutionarily conserved gene with homologues found in organisms ranging from yeast to man. In man the gene is located on chromosome 17 at q21. The deduced amino acid sequences of the protein products from mouse and rat are identical; and these differ from the human protein sequence by a single conserved amino acid. Prohibitin has antiproliferative activity and available data suggest a role in such diverse processes as normal cell cycle regulation, replicative senescence, cellular immortalization, and the development of sporadic breast tumors. Although its functional activity is presently unknown, the 30,000-Da protein has been located in the inner membrane of mitochondria, where it is postsynthetically modified, as well as on the plasma membrane of B cells, where it is associated with the IgM receptor. Prohibitin's evolutionary conservation and ubiquitous expression indicate that it is a fundamentally important gene; and current data suggest a functional role in such dissimilar processes as development, senescence, and tumor suppression.

Prohibitin, an antiproliferative protein, is localized to mitochondria

Prohibitin is a ubiquitously expressed protein with antiproliferative properties. When rat prohibitin tagged with a carboxy-terminal c-Myc epitope was expressed in baby hamster kidney cells the protein was targeted to mitochondria. In immunofluorescence microscopy prohibitin colocalized with a mitochondrial marker E3. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that prohibitin was associated with the periphery of mitochondria. The amino-terminus of prohibitin shares characteristics of the known mitochondrial import signals, and positioning of the tag at the N-terminus causes accumulation of the protein in the cytoplasm. These findings help to direct functional studies on prohibitin and suggest that a mitochondrial protein may act as a tumor suppressor.

Towards cloning the familial breast-ovarian cancer gene on chromosome 17

The past year has seen a great deal of excitement in the field of breast cancer genetics. Since linkage of the familial breast-ovarian cancer gene (BRCA1) to chromosome 17, the critical region has been narrowed to 1.0-1.5 Mb by recombination studies, a detailed physical map has been constructed and much of the region has been cloned in yeast artificial chromosome, bacteriophage P1 and cosmid vectors. The focus now lies on identifying the genes housed within the BRCA1 region and scanning them for oncogenic mutations.

Cell cycle activity and expression of prohibitin mRNA

Prohibitin, a novel intracellular antiproliferative protein, blocks entry into the S phase of the cell division cycle when its mRNA is microinjected into normal fibroblasts or HeLa cells. To learn more about the interaction between prohibitin and the cell cycle, we studied the effect of microinjecting prohibitin mRNA at different points during the transition from G0 to S phase and analyzed prohibitin mRNA and protein levels in different parts of the cell cycle. The antiproliferative activity of microinjected prohibitin mRNA is high in G0/G1 and falls as cells approach S phase. Prohibitin mRNA and protein levels are high in G1, fall with S phase, rise again in G2, and fall in M. Together, these findings suggest that endogenous prohibitin contributes to the control of the G1 to S transition in cycling cells in a complex manner, which involves both a transcriptional and posttranslational mechanism.

Allelic loss on chromosome 17 in human ovarian cancer

In order to identify a common region of deletion on chromosome 17 potentially containing a tumor-suppressor gene, 27 ovarian carcinomas and 3 ovarian tumors of low malignant potential (LMP) were examined for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 6 p arm and 10 q arm loci. Ninety percent of all tumors had deletions at one or more loci. On the p arm, there was a single near-common region of deletion on 17p13.3 (D17S30/pYNZ22.1; 86% LOH), an intervening locus with a low LOH rate, and a more proximal locus on 17p11.2 (D17S58/pEW301; 82% LOH) with a high LOH rate. In less aggressive tumors, LOH at D17S30 was not accompanied by LOH at p53. The q arm had a common region of deletion for high-stage carcinoma at D17S579 (Mfd188; 74% LOH) on q21, a locus tightly linked to the familial breast-ovarian-cancer syndrome (BRCAI) locus. D17S579 was lost in all informative high-stage carcinomas and retained in all low-stage carcinomas and tumors of LMP. There may be at least 2 tumor-suppressor genes, an early-acting gene on the p arm and a gene on the q arm involved in tumor progression and metastasis.