Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Continuous Fluorescence-Based Endonuclease-Coupled DNA Methylation Assay to Screen for DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors
Published on: August 5, 2022
A role for DNA methylation in regulating the growth suppressor PMEPA1 gene in prostate cancer
Eric Richter1, Katsuaki Masuda, Christopher Cook
1Center for Prostate Disease Research, Department of Surgery, US Military Cancer Institute, Uniformed Services University, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA.
Abstract:
A cascade of epigenetic events contributes to the selective growth advantage of cancer cells during tumor progression. PMEPA1 gene is an androgen-inducible negative regulator of cell growth in the prostate epithelium. During prostate cancer progression PMEPA1 gene transcription is reduced or lost prompting us to investigate the role of epigenetic events in this process. In LAPC4 cells harboring wild type androgen receptor decitabine (5-aza-2'-deoxycitidine) treatment resulted in increased expression of PMEPA1 along with other androgen-inducible genes, suggesting a role for DNA methylation in the repression of androgenic cell growth control signals in prostate cancer. In contrast, mutant androgen receptor expressing LNCaP cells were deficient in this response. Therefore, decitabine-induced expression of cell growth controlling genes such as NKX3.1 or PMEPA1 underlines the clinical applicability of decitabine in prostate tumors harboring wild type androgen receptor. Further analysis of DNA methylation within the PMEPA1 promoter downstream sequences suggests that methylation of SP1 binding sites may also contribute to the repression of PMEPA1 gene.
Related Concept Videos
Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Abnormal Proliferation
Master Transcription Regulators
Negative Regulator Molecules
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...

