Human Molecular Genetics Advance Access originally published online on May 22, 2006
Human Molecular Genetics 2006 15(13):2125-2137; doi:10.1093/hmg/ddl136
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Fusion between CIC and DUX4 up-regulates PEA3 family genes in Ewing-like sarcomas with t(4;19)(q35;q13) translocation


1 Department of Carcinogenesis, 2 Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, 3 Department of Pathology, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan, 4 FML Laboratory, Tokyo, Japan, 5 Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, 6 Department of Pathology, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, 7 Genome Research Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan and 8 Department of Molecular Pathophysiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
* To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Carcinogenesis, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan. Tel: +81 335700462; fax: +81 335700463; Email: takuro-ind{at}umin.net
Received February 5, 2006; Revised April 11, 2006; Accepted May 17, 2006
Ewing's family tumors (EFTs) are highly malignant tumors arising from bone and soft tissues that exhibit EWSFLI1 or variant EWSETS gene fusions in more than 85% of the cases. Here we show that CIC, a human homolog of Drosophila capicua which encodes a high mobility group box transcription factor, is fused to a double homeodomain gene DUX4 as a result of a recurrent chromosomal translocation t(4;19)(q35;q13). This translocation was seen in two cases of soft tissue sarcoma diagnosed as Ewing-like sarcoma. CICDUX4 exhibits a transforming potential for NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, and as a consequence of fusion with a C-terminal fragment of DUX4, CIC acquires an enhanced transcriptional activity, suggesting that expression of its downstream targets might be deregulated. Gene expression analysis identified the ETS family genes, ERM/ETV5 and ETV1, as potential targets for the gene product of CICDUX4. Indeed, CICDUX4 directly binds the ERM promoter by recognizing a novel target sequence and significantly up-regulates its expression. This study clarifies the function of CIC and its role in tumorigenesis, as well as the importance of the PEA3 subclass of ETS family proteins in the development of EFTs arising through mechanisms different from those involving EWSETS chimeras. Moreover, the study identifies the role of DUX4 that is closely linked to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in transcriptional regulation.
The authors wish it to be known that, in their opinion, the first two authors should be regarded as joint First Authors.
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