The ATM tumour suppressor gene is down-regulated in EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma

摘要: A micro-array analysis using biopsies from patients with EBV-positive undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and cancer-free controls revealed down-regulation of tumour suppressor genes (TSG) not previously associated this disease; one such gene was the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. Q-PCR confirmed ATM mRNA protein expression in cells weak or absent almost all cases. In NPC cell lines, however, down-regulated only line, C666.1, none five EBV-negative lines. vitro infection lines a recombinant EBV followed by protein, showed defective DNA damage response following gamma-irradiation. Our data suggest that loss function could be an important step pathogenesis NPC, may have implications for treatment disease.