BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a tumour type that generally carries very complex chromosomal aberrations. An interesting feature is the elevated occurrence (58 %) of whole arm translocations and isochromosomes, resulting from breakage and illegitimate recombination in centromeric or pericentromeric regions. We hypothesized that alterations in DNA methylation may play a role in the breakage of centromeric repeat sequences in these tumours. METHODS: We studied the DNA methylation status of global repeats (LINE-1), subtelomeric repeats (D4Z4) and centromeric repeats (SAT-α) in relation to centromeric instability in a series of HNSCC cancer cell lines and primary tumours. We analysed the methylation status by pyrosequencing and the chromosomal aberrations by microarray CGH. RESULTS: We found a significant association between centromeric instability and hypomethylation of LINE-1, but not D4Z4 and SAT-α. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that centromeric instability is associated with genomic DNA hypomethylation only when occurring at specific DNA repeat sequences.
BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a tumour type that generally carries very complex chromosomal aberrations. An interesting feature is the elevated occurrence (58 %) of whole arm translocations and isochromosomes, resulting from breakage and illegitimate recombination in centromeric or pericentromeric regions. We hypothesized that alterations in DNA methylation may play a role in the breakage of centromeric repeat sequences in these tumours. METHODS: We studied the DNA methylation status of global repeats (LINE-1), subtelomeric repeats (D4Z4) and centromeric repeats (SAT-α) in relation to centromeric instability in a series of HNSCC cancer cell lines and primary tumours. We analysed the methylation status by pyrosequencing and the chromosomal aberrations by microarray CGH. RESULTS: We found a significant association between centromeric instability and hypomethylation of LINE-1, but not D4Z4 and SAT-α. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that centromeric instability is associated with genomic DNA hypomethylation only when occurring at specific DNA repeat sequences.
Authors: T Kondo; M P Bobek; R Kuick; B Lamb; X Zhu; A Narayan; D Bourc'his; E Viegas-Péquignot; M Ehrlich; S M Hanash Journal: Hum Mol Genet Date: 2000-03-01 Impact factor: 6.150
Authors: Koji Matsuzaki; Guoren Deng; Hirofumi Tanaka; Sanjay Kakar; Soichiro Miura; Young S Kim Journal: Clin Cancer Res Date: 2005-12-15 Impact factor: 12.531
Authors: Martin Widschwendter; Guanchao Jiang; Christian Woods; Hannes M Müller; Heidi Fiegl; Georg Goebel; Christian Marth; Elisabeth Müller-Holzner; Alain G Zeimet; Peter W Laird; Melanie Ehrlich Journal: Cancer Res Date: 2004-07-01 Impact factor: 12.701
Authors: Laura S Rozek; Shama Virani; Emily L Bellile; Jeremy M G Taylor; Maureen A Sartor; Katie R Zarins; A Virani; C Cote; Francis P Worden; Mark E Prince Mark; Scott A McLean; Sonya A Duffy; George H Yoo; Nabil F Saba; Dong M Shin; Omer Kucuk; Gregory T Wolf Journal: Nutr Cancer Date: 2019-03-12 Impact factor: 2.900