The histone methyltransferase and putative oncoprotein MMSET is overexpressed in a large variety of human tumors

TY - JOUR

T1 - The histone methyltransferase and putative oncoprotein MMSET is overexpressed in a large variety of human tumors

AU - Hudlebusch, Heidi Rye

AU - Santoni-Rugiu, Eric

AU - Simon, Ronald

AU - Ralfkiær, Elisabeth

AU - Rossing, Henrik Holm

AU - Johansen, Jens Vilstrup

AU - Jørgensen, Mette

AU - Sauter, Guido

AU - Helin, Kristian

N1 - ©2011 AACR.

PY - 2011/5/1

Y1 - 2011/5/1

N2 - Purpose: Multiple myeloma SET (Suppressor of variegation, Enhancer of zeste, and Trithorax) domain (MMSET) is a histone lysine methyltransferase deregulated in a subgroup of multiple myelomas with the t(4;14)(p16;q32) translocation and poor prognosis. With the aim of understanding, if MMSET can be involved in other types of cancer we investigated the expression of MMSET protein in different types of human tumors. Experimental Design: A monoclonal antibody against MMSET was developed and immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays (TMA) containing a large number of tumor samples (n = 3774) and corresponding normal tissues (n = 904) was carried out. Further validations of MMSET expression were carried out on independent, tumor-specific sets of TMAs for urinary bladder (n = 1293) and colon cancer (n = 1206) with corresponding clinicopathological data and long-term follow-up. Results: MMSET protein was highly expressed in different tumor types compared to normal counterparts. Particular frequent and/or high MMSET expression was found in carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, colon, anal canal), small cell lung carcinoma, tumors of the urinary bladder, female genitals, and skin. In bladder cancer, MMSET expression correlated with tumor aggressiveness. In contrast, MMSET expression was associated with good prognostic factors in colon cancer and was more pronounced in early stages of colon carcinogenesis (dysplasias) than in adenocarcinomas. However, colon cancer patients with high MMSET levels showed a worse 5-year survival. Conclusions: Our data suggest that MMSET has a broader role in cancer than previously anticipated, and further analysis might qualify it as a prognostic marker and a target for the development of therapy against several types of cancer.

AB - Purpose: Multiple myeloma SET (Suppressor of variegation, Enhancer of zeste, and Trithorax) domain (MMSET) is a histone lysine methyltransferase deregulated in a subgroup of multiple myelomas with the t(4;14)(p16;q32) translocation and poor prognosis. With the aim of understanding, if MMSET can be involved in other types of cancer we investigated the expression of MMSET protein in different types of human tumors. Experimental Design: A monoclonal antibody against MMSET was developed and immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays (TMA) containing a large number of tumor samples (n = 3774) and corresponding normal tissues (n = 904) was carried out. Further validations of MMSET expression were carried out on independent, tumor-specific sets of TMAs for urinary bladder (n = 1293) and colon cancer (n = 1206) with corresponding clinicopathological data and long-term follow-up. Results: MMSET protein was highly expressed in different tumor types compared to normal counterparts. Particular frequent and/or high MMSET expression was found in carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, colon, anal canal), small cell lung carcinoma, tumors of the urinary bladder, female genitals, and skin. In bladder cancer, MMSET expression correlated with tumor aggressiveness. In contrast, MMSET expression was associated with good prognostic factors in colon cancer and was more pronounced in early stages of colon carcinogenesis (dysplasias) than in adenocarcinomas. However, colon cancer patients with high MMSET levels showed a worse 5-year survival. Conclusions: Our data suggest that MMSET has a broader role in cancer than previously anticipated, and further analysis might qualify it as a prognostic marker and a target for the development of therapy against several types of cancer.

KW - Animals

KW - Antibodies, Monoclonal

KW - Antibody Specificity

KW - Female

KW - Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic

KW - Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic

KW - Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Mice

KW - Models, Biological

KW - Neoplasms

KW - Oncogene Proteins

KW - Repressor Proteins

KW - Tissue Array Analysis

KW - Tumor Cells, Cultured

KW - Up-Regulation

U2 - 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-10-1302

DO - 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-10-1302

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21385930

SN - 1078-0432

VL - 17

SP - 2919

EP - 2933

JO - Clinical Cancer Research

JF - Clinical Cancer Research

IS - 9

ER -