Publications by authors named "K-John Cheung"

Conventional comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), high-resolution oligonucleotide, and BAC array CGH have modernized the field of cytogenetics to enable access to unbalanced genomic aberrations such as whole or partial chromosomal gains and losses. The basic principle of array CGH involves hybridizing differentially labeled proband/test (e.g.

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Clinical correlative studies have linked 1p36 deletions with worse prognosis in follicular lymphoma (FL). In this study, we sought to identify the critical gene(s) in this region that is responsible for conferring inferior prognosis. BAC array technology applied to 141 FL specimens detected a minimum region of deletion (MRD) of ∼97 kb within 1p36.

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A multiplatform approach, including conventional cytogenetic techniques, BAC array comparative genomic hybridization, and Affymetrix 500K SNP arrays, was applied to the study of the tumor genomes of 25 follicular lymphoma biopsy samples with paired normal DNA samples to characterize balanced translocations, copy number imbalances, and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (cnLOH). In addition to the t(14;18), eight unique balanced translocations were found. Commonly reported FL-associated copy number regions were revealed including losses of 1p32-36, 6q, and 10q, and gains of 1q, 6p, 7, 12, 18, and X.

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The tumour suppressor TP53 (previously termed p53) mediates a pathway that is considered to be one of the most important mechanisms in the maintenance of genomic stability. The function of TP53 can be abrogated by genomic deletion, mutation, or deregulation of upstream and downstream participants in the TP53 pathway. While aberrations of TP53 are widely prevalent in non-haematological malignancies (over 60%), they are present in much lower frequency in haematological malignancies (<20%).

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Motivation: Analysis of array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) data for recurrent DNA copy number alterations from a cohort of patients can yield distinct sets of molecular signatures or profiles. This can be due to the presence of heterogeneous cancer subtypes within a supposedly homogeneous population.

Results: We propose a novel statistical method for automatically detecting such subtypes or clusters.

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The secondary genetic events associated with follicular lymphoma (FL) progression are not well defined. We applied genome-wide BAC array comparative genomic hybridization to 106 diagnostic biopsies of FL to characterize regional genomic imbalances. Using an analytical approach that defined regions of copy number change as intersections between visual annotations and a Hidden Markov model-based algorithm, we identified 71 regional alterations that were recurrent in at least 10% of cases.

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Ataxia has been associated with abnormalities in neuronal differentiation and migration, which are regulated by Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). The cerebellum of mice lacking Cdk5 or its activator, p35, resembles those of ataxic reeler and scrambler mice, suggesting that Cdk5 may contribute to ataxic pathology. As with other ataxic mice, the pogo/pogo mouse shows aberrant cerebellar tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression.

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Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The ET12 lineage appears particularly virulent in CF; however, its pathogenesis is poorly understood and may be associated with host response. To help characterize this response, the ability of B.

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An antibiotic efflux gene cluster that confers resistance to chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, and ciprofloxacin has been identified in Burkholderia cenocepacia (genomovar III), an important cystic fibrosis pathogen. Five open reading frames have been identified in the cluster. There is apparently a single transcriptional unit, with llpE encoding a lipase-like protein, ceoA encoding a putative periplasmic linker protein, ceoB encoding a putative cytoplasmic membrane protein, and opcM encoding a previously described outer membrane protein.

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The tumour suppressor ING1 shares many biological functions with p53, such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, apoptosis, and chemosensitivity. Since p53 inhibits invasion and angiogenesis of melanoma cells, we sought to investigate if p33ING1 (one of ING1 isoforms) is also involved in these biological processes. We first overexpressed p33ING1 in melanoma cells and assessed the protein levels in MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9.

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The biological functions of the tumor suppressor ING1 have been studied extensively in the past few years since it was cloned. It shares many biological functions with p53 and has been reported to mediate growth arrest, senescence, apoptosis, anchorage-dependent growth, chemosensitivity, and DNA repair. Some of these functions, such as cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, have been shown to be dependent on the activity of both ING1 and p53 proteins.

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The regulation of Fas/APO-1(CD95), an important member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily involved in membrane-mediated apoptosis, has been a subject of recent research. Ligation of Fas by Fas ligand or an anti-Fas cross-linking antibody triggers receptor trimerization followed by recruitment of FADD to the cytoplasmic domain of the receptor and the activation of the caspase cascade. The tumor suppressor p53 has been shown to upregulate Fas expression under numerous pro-apoptotic stimuli in vitro.

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p53 is considered the guardian of the genome and has a number of biological functions, including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and apoptosis. In a recent study by Foster and colleagues, the pharmacological compound CP-31398 was found to stabilize wild-type p53 to enhance its transcriptional activity and inhibit tumor growth in mice. We hypothesize that CP-31398 induces apoptosis by stabilizing the p53 protein and activating the mitochondrial-mediated pathway.

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The tumour suppressor ING1 shares many biological functions with p53, such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, apoptosis, and chemosensitivity. Previous findings indicate that the isoform p24ING1 is capable of enhancing chemosensitivity in human fibroblasts. To investigate if the p33ING1 isoform is also involved in chemosensitivity, we overexpressed p33ING1 in melanoma cells and assessed for cell death after treatment with camptothecin.

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