Epigenetic abnormalities during onset and progression of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL)

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460437
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Human pathology
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Oka Takashi 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 助教 (50160651)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ITO SACHIO 岡山大学, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 助教 (30335624) ; OUCHIDA MAMORU 岡山大学, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 准教授 (80213635) ; YOSHINO TADASHI 岡山大学, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科, 教授 (70183704)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ATL / エピジェネテイックス / ポリコーム / ヒストン / DNAメチル化 / 悪性リンパ腫 / マイクロアレイ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the epigenetic mechanism of onset and progression of non-Hodgikin lymphoma as well as adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). We found that epigenetic abnormalities including unbalanced expression of Polycomb Repressive Complex (PRC) molecules, aberrant expression of miRNA and mRNA and also aberrant DNA methylation are playing the important role in the pathogenesis of ATL. Ezh2 was strongly expressed and polycomb repressive complex PRC1.4 dominates over PRC1.2 in aggressive lymphoma variants as well as ATL. Tax protein expression induced epigenetic heterogeneity with expanding the global DNA methylation profile to generate various epigenetic clones, suggesting that Tax-mediated epigenetic clonal heterogeneity and diversity may contribute to induce leukemic transformation and more aggressive clonal progression.

Free Research Field

分子腫瘍ウイルス学