Short Communication
5-AZA-dC induces epigenetic changes associated with modified glycosylation of secreted glycoproteins and increased EMT and migration in chemo-sensitive cancer cells
Author(s): Radka Fahey*
Glycosylation, one of the most fundamental posttranslational modifications, is altered in cancer and is
subject in part, to epigenetic regulation. As there are
many epigenetic-targeted therapies currently in clinical
trials for the treatment of a variety of cancers, it is
important to understand the impact epi-therapeutics have
on glycosylation. Ovarian and triple negative breast
cancer cells were treated with the DNA methyltransferase
inhibitor, 5-AZA-2-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-dC).
Branching and sialylation were increased on secreted Nglycans from chemosensitive/non-metastatic cells
following treatment with 5-AZA-dC. These changes
correlated with increased mRNA expression levels in
MGAT5 and ST3GAL4 transcripts in ovarian cancer cell
lines. Using siRNA transient knock down of GATA2 and
GATA3 transcription factors, we show that these regulate
the glycosyltransferases ST3GAL4 a.. View More»