Hyper-methylated miR-203 dysregulates ABL1 and contributes to the nickel-induced tumorigenesis.

Nickel compounds have been found to be carcinogenic based upon epidemiological, animal and cell culture studies. Previous studies suggest that epigenetic mechanisms play a role in Nickel-induced carcinogenesis such as DNA methylation and histone modification. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in nickel-induced carcinogenesis.

Methylation of RAR-β2, RASSF1A, and CDKN2A genes induced by nickel subsulfide and nickel-carcinogenesis in rats.

Objective: To investigate the expression variation of RAR-β2, RASSF1A, and CDKN2A gene in the process of nickel-induced carcinogenesis.

Methods: Nickel subsulfide (Ni(3)S(2)) at dose of 10 mg was given to Wistar rats by intramuscular injection. The mRNA expression of the three genes in induced tumors and their lung metastasis were examined by Real-time PCR.

Effects of miR-541 on neurite outgrowth during neuronal differentiation.

MicroRNA (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules that downregulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level. miRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression important for neuron development and function. This report demonstrated that a putative and chemically synthesized miRNA rno-mir-541 played an important role in the neuron development.

Characterization of de novo synthesized proteins released from human colorectal tumour explants.

Tumours release many proteins into their microenvironment. These proteins may enter the blood stream and have value as cancer biomarkers. We examined the range of proteins released by colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis (LM) specimens and normal colon mucosa during 16 h culture as explants in the presence of [35S]-methionine.

Compatibility of toluidine blue with laser microdissection and saturation labeling DIGE.

Tissue fixation and staining protocols for laser microdissection are frequently not fully compatible with subsequent proteomic analysis. We compared the effect of three common histological stains (toluidine blue (TB), hemotoxylin, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE)) on tissue visualization, protein recovery, the saturation labeling reaction, and 2-D electrophoresis. TB provided the best visualization of colorectal tumor tissue during laser microdissection (LMD) and had a comparable effect on protein recovery and the saturation labeling reaction with hematoxylin, provided a modified 2-D clean-up protocol was used.

Metastatic susceptibility locus, an 8p hot-spot for tumour progression disrupted in colorectal liver metastases: 13 candidate genes examined at the DNA, mRNA and protein level.

Background: Mortality from colorectal cancer is mainly due to metastatic liver disease. Improved understanding of the molecular events underlying metastasis is crucial for the development of new methods for early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer. Loss of chromosome 8p is frequently seen in colorectal cancer and implicated in later stage disease and metastasis, although a single metastasis suppressor gene has yet to be identified.