Refine
Has Fulltext
- yes (43)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (43)
Year of publication
Document Type
- Journal article (43)
Language
- English (43)
Keywords
- gene expression (5)
- melanoma (4)
- Biologie (3)
- Medizin (3)
- prostate cancer (3)
- NRF2 (2)
- RCC (2)
- T cells (2)
- biomarker (2)
- evolutionary genetics (2)
Institute
- Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften (35)
- Urologische Klinik und Poliklinik (8)
- Pathologisches Institut (6)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken (5)
- Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie (3)
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie (3)
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie (3)
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II (3)
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum (3)
- Julius-von-Sachs-Institut für Biowissenschaften (2)
- Abteilung für Molekulare Innere Medizin (in der Medizinischen Klinik und Poliklinik II) (1)
- Augenklinik und Poliklinik (1)
- Deutsches Zentrum für Herzinsuffizienz (DZHI) (1)
- Frauenklinik und Poliklinik (1)
- Institut für Experimentelle Biomedizin (1)
- Institut für Klinische Biochemie und Pathobiochemie (1)
- Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie (1)
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie (1)
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Nuklearmedizin (1)
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie (1)
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie (1)
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Psychiatrie (1)
- Lehrstuhl für Tissue Engineering und Regenerative Medizin (1)
- Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik (1)
- Physiologisches Institut (1)
Sonstige beteiligte Institutionen
- IZKF (Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Klinische Forschung), Universität Würzburg (1)
- IZKF Laboratory for Microarray Applications, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany (1)
- Microarray Core Unit, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Science, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Straße, Würzburg 97080, Germany (1)
Background
A growing number of studies report an abnormal expression of Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and the piRNA processing enzyme Piwi in many cancers. Whether this finding is an epiphenomenon of the chaotic molecular biology of the fast dividing, neoplastically transformed cells or is functionally relevant to tumorigenesisis is difficult to discern at present. To better understand the role of piRNAs in cancer development small laboratory fish models can make a valuable contribution. However, little is known about piRNAs in somatic and neoplastic tissues of fish.
Results
To identify piRNA clusters that might be involved in melanoma pathogenesis, we use several transgenic lines of medaka, and platyfish/swordtail hybrids, which develop various types of melanoma. In these tumors Piwi, is expressed at different levels, depending on tumor type. To quantify piRNA levels, whole piRNA populations of testes and melanomas of different histotypes were sequenced. Because no reference piRNA cluster set for medaka or Xiphophorus was yet available we developed a software pipeline to detect piRNA clusters in our samples and clusters were selected that were enriched in one or more samples. We found several loci to be overexpressed or down-regulated in different melanoma subtypes as compared to hyperpigmented skin. Furthermore, cluster analysis revealed a clear distinction between testes, low-grade and high-grade malignant melanoma in medaka.
Conclusions
Our data imply that dysregulation of piRNA expression may be associated with development of melanoma. Our results also reinforce the importance of fish as a suitable model system to study the role of piRNAs in tumorigenesis.