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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
hZIP1 zinc transporter down-regulation in prostate cancer involves the overexpression of ras responsive element
Jing Zou1, Beatrice C Milon, Mohamed M Desouki
1Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental School, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland.
Background:
A marked decrease in the level of zinc is a consistent characteristic of prostate cancer; which results from down-regulation of ZIP1 zinc transporter. The aim of this study was to determine if RREB-1 transcription is involved in the down-regulation of ZIP1 gene expression; and to determine the expression of RREB-1 in benign and cancerous prostate in situ.
Methods:
Overexpression and siRNA knock down of RREB-1 were used to determine the effect of RREB-1 on hZIP1 abundance in PC-3 cells. Immunohistochemistry with tissue microarrays (TMAs) and tissue sections was used to determine the levels of RREB-1 expression in prostate in situ.
Results:
Overexpression of RREB-1 resulted in a decrease in the abundance of hZIP1 in the plasma membrane of PC-3 cells; whereas siRNA knock down significantly increased hZIP1 expression. Prostate TMAs and tissue sections showed an inverse relationship between RREB-1 and hZIP1 staining.
Conclusions:
RREB-1 overexpression results in down-regulation of hZIP1 and contributes to the loss of hZIP1 expression and zinc in prostate cancer. This is an early event in prostate carcinogenesis.
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