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Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

RASSF1 tumor suppressor gene in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: correlation of expression, chromosomal status and epigenetic changes

Authors: Eliana Amato, Stefano Barbi, Matteo Fassan, Claudio Luchini, Caterina Vicentini, Matteo Brunelli, Giuseppe Malleo, Aldo Scarpa, Giorgio Malpeli

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2016

Abstract

Background

The Ras Association Domain Family Member 1 (RASSF1) is one of the most frequently reported methylation-inactivated tumor suppressor genes in primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). Limited information is still available about the impact of RASSF1 gene silencing on the expression of its different isoforms in neoplastic cells.

Methods

A series of 96 primary PDAC, with known clinico-pathological parameters, was tested for RASSF1 methylation status by methylation-specific PCR, RASSF1 locus copy number alterations by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and Rassf1a protein expression by immunohistochemistry. A further series of 14 xenografted primary PDAC and 8 PDAC-derived cell lines were tested to obtain a detailed methylation mapping of CpG islands A and C of the RASSF1 locus by pyrosequencing and to evaluate the expression of Rassf1 variants by qRT-PCR.

Results

Methylation of CpG island A of the RASSF1 gene was observed in 35 % of the tumors and allelic loss of RASSF1 locus was seen in 30 disomic and in 20 polysomic cases (52 %). Rassf1a immunohistochemical expression was downregulated in half of primary PDAC, and this downregulation was neither correlated with methylation of RASSF1 promoter nor with RASSF1 copy number alterations. RASSF1 status did not influence patients’ prognosis. The expression of the seven RASSF1 isoforms in xenografts and cell lines showed that RASSF1A, RASSF1B, and RASSF1C isoforms were present in all xenografts and cell lines, whereas RASSF1D, RASSF1E, and RASSF1F isoforms were variably expressed among samples. RASSF1G was never expressed in either xenografts or cell lines. The variable expression of RASSF1 isoforms in PDAC xenografts and cell lines was not dependent on RASSF1 methylation status of CpG islands A and C.

Conclusions

RASSF1 alterations occurring in PDAC mainly consist in variations of expression of the different isoforms. Different genetic mechanisms seem to contribute to RASSF1 deregulation in this setting, but RASSF1 methylation does not seem to substantially affect RASSF1 isoforms expression.

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Title: RASSF1 tumor suppressor gene in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: correlation of expression, chromosomal status and epigenetic changes
Authors: Eliana Amato
Stefano Barbi
Matteo Fassan
Claudio Luchini
Caterina Vicentini
Matteo Brunelli
Giuseppe Malleo
Aldo Scarpa
Giorgio Malpeli
Publication date: 01-12-2016
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-016-2048-0

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