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Expression of the ribonucleases Drosha, Dicer, and Ago2 in colorectal carcinomas

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Abstract

The pathogenesis of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a complex process that involves the recruitment of both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Recent studies underline the cardinal role of small, noncoding RNA molecules, called microRNAs (miRs), in the pathobiology of numerous physiological and pathological processes, including oncogenesis. MiR biogenesis and maturation is mainly regulated by the nuclear ribonuclease Drosha and the cytoplasmic ribonucleases Dicer and Ago2. In the present study, we investigated the expression and distribution of these molecules in three colon cancer cell lines and in human CRC samples. Drosha, Dicer, and Ago2 mRNA and protein expression was assessed with real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Our experiments showed that Drosha, Dicer, and Ago2 were expressed in all the cell lines and in the majority of the CRC samples examined. The mRNA levels of Dicer were significantly augmented in stage III compared to stage II tumors. Our results suggest that Drosha, Dicer, and Ago2 are possibly implicated in CRC pathobiology and that Dicer might have a role in the progression of these tumors to advanced stages.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Patras, School of Medicine, Patras, Greece

    Dionysios J. Papachristou, Angeliki Korpetinou, Efstathia Giannopoulou & Haralabos P. Kalofonos

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Dionysios J. Papachristou

  3. Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, University of Patras, School of Medicine, Patras, Greece

    Dionysios J. Papachristou, Angeliki Korpetinou & Helen Papadaki

  4. Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, University of Patras, School of Medicine, Patras, Greece

    Anna G. Antonacopoulou & Haralabos P. Kalofonos

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Petros Grivas

  6. Department of Pathology, University of Patras, School of Medicine, Patras, Greece

    Chrisoula D. Scopa

  7. Division of Oncology and Clinical Oncology Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Patras, 26504, Rio, Greece

    Haralabos P. Kalofonos

Authors
  1. Dionysios J. Papachristou
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  2. Angeliki Korpetinou
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Correspondence to Haralabos P. Kalofonos.

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Papachristou, D.J., Korpetinou, A., Giannopoulou, E. et al. Expression of the ribonucleases Drosha, Dicer, and Ago2 in colorectal carcinomas. Virchows Arch 459, 431–440 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-011-1119-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-011-1119-5

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