Collagen Prolyl Hydroxylases Are Bifunctional Growth Regulators in Melanoma.

Appropriate post-translational processing of collagen requires prolyl hydroxylation, catalyzed by collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylase and collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase, and is essential for normal cell function. Here we have investigated the expression, transcriptional regulation, and function of the collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylase and collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase families in melanoma. We show that the collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylase family exemplified by Leprel1 and Leprel2 is subject to methylation-dependent transcriptional silencing in primary and metastatic melanoma consistent with a tumor suppressor function.

Development of a Novel Experimental In Vitro Model of Isothiocyanate-induced Apoptosis in Human Malignant Melanoma Cells.

Background: Isothiocyanates are constituents of cruciferous vegetables which have been associated with reduced cancer risk partially through their ability to induce apoptosis in malignant cells including melanoma.

Materials And Methods: We have utilized human malignant melanoma (A375), epidermoid carcinoma (A431) and immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells exposed to various isothiocyanates, under different experimental conditions.

Results: An experimental in vitro model utilizing low isothiocyanate concentrations (0.