Transcription factor YY1 expression in human gastrointestinal cancer cells.

Over-expression of the multifunctional zinc-finger transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) has been associated with cellular proliferation and resistance to apoptotic stimuli. In this study, we report that YY1 was uniformly highly over-expressed in a wide range of human cancer cell lines and in human colon cancer tissue samples. The examination of YY1-specific mRNA expression demonstrated at least six mRNA isoforms ubiquitously expressed in normal human adult and fetal tissues.

Human gastrin-releasing peptide receptor gene regulation requires transcription factor binding at two distinct CRE sites.

Ectopic expression of the gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptor (GRP-R) occurs frequently in human malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract. Owing to paracrine and autocrine interaction with its specific high-affinity ligand GRP, tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion might ensue. Here we provide the first insights regarding molecular mechanisms of GRP-R regulation in gastrointestinal cancer cells.