Abstract
Cancer is a disease that arises from the disruption of cellular and genetic functions, either intrinsically or extrinsically. DNA repair genes play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the genome and the dysregulation of the key DNA damage repair genes has been implicated in the development, progression and chemotherapeutic resistance of different cancers. Colorectal cancer (or colorectal adenocarcinoma) is one of the most common malignant neoplasms and a
leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This work will compare the level of gene expression of the DNA repair genes NEIL1, NEIL2, NEIL3, ERCC1, MLH1, OGG1, and NTHL1 with the housekeeping gene GAPDH in colon tumour tissue and matched normal colon tissue. Various molecular biology tools and techniques were employed in this research, including RNA extraction and purification, complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis and qRT-PCR analysis. Gene
expression levels were determined using the comparative Ct method. For the twelve tumour tissues investigated, there is a reproducible and characteristic pattern of expression of the genes, with trends of expression observed between the Neil group of genes; Neil3 and Ercc1, and between Neil3, Ercc1 and Mlh1. The results showed that across the tumour tissues, the overexpression of one of the Neil genes marks the suppression of the others. Similarly, the results further demonstrated that there is a special relationship between Neil3 and Ercc1, with
both genes antagonistic to each other. The expression patterns of these genes are indicators of the level of genetic instability and could serve as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis.
leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This work will compare the level of gene expression of the DNA repair genes NEIL1, NEIL2, NEIL3, ERCC1, MLH1, OGG1, and NTHL1 with the housekeeping gene GAPDH in colon tumour tissue and matched normal colon tissue. Various molecular biology tools and techniques were employed in this research, including RNA extraction and purification, complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis and qRT-PCR analysis. Gene
expression levels were determined using the comparative Ct method. For the twelve tumour tissues investigated, there is a reproducible and characteristic pattern of expression of the genes, with trends of expression observed between the Neil group of genes; Neil3 and Ercc1, and between Neil3, Ercc1 and Mlh1. The results showed that across the tumour tissues, the overexpression of one of the Neil genes marks the suppression of the others. Similarly, the results further demonstrated that there is a special relationship between Neil3 and Ercc1, with
both genes antagonistic to each other. The expression patterns of these genes are indicators of the level of genetic instability and could serve as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2019 |
