Silencing of the imprinted DLK1-MEG3 locus in human clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.

ABSTRACT: DLK1-MEG3 is an imprinted locus consisting of multiple maternally expressed noncoding RNA genes and paternally expressed protein-coding genes. The expression of maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) is selectively lost in clinically nonfunctioning adenomas (NFAs) of gonadotroph origin; however, expression status of other genes at this locus in human pituitary adenomas has not previously been reported. Using quantitative real-time RT-PCR, we evaluated expression of 24 genes from the DLK1-MEG3 locus in 44 human pituitary adenomas (25 NFAs, 7 ACTH-secreting, 7 GH-secreting, and 5 PRL-secreting adenomas) and 10 normal pituitaries. The effects on cell proliferation of five miRNAs whose expression was lost in NFAs were investigated by flow cytometry analysis. We found that 18 genes, including 13 mi

SUBMITTER: Cheunsuchon P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3181372 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature