TY - JOUR

T1 - The ectopic expression of meiCT genes promotes meiomitosis and may facilitate carcinogenesis

AU - Gantchev, Jennifer

AU - Villarreal, Amelia

AU - Gunn, Scott

AU - Zetka, Monique

AU - Ødum, Niels

AU - Litvinov, Ivan V.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Cancer meiomitosis is defined as the concurrent activation of both mitotic and meiotic machineries in neoplastic cells that confer a selective advantage together with increased genomic instability. MeiCT (meiosis-specific cancer/testis) genes that perform specialized functions in the germline events required for the first meiotic division are ectopically expressed in several cancers. Here we describe the expression profiles of meiCT genes and proteins across a number of cancers and review the proposed mechanisms that increase aneuploidy and elicit reduction division in polyploid cells. These mechanisms are centered on the overexpression and function of meiCT proteins in cancers under various conditions that includes a response to genotoxic stress. Since meiCT genes are transcriptionally repressed in somatic cells, their target offers a promising therapeutic approach with limited toxicity to healthy tissues. Throughout the review, we provide a detailed description of the roles for each gene in the context of meiosis and we discuss proposed functions and outcomes resulting from their ectopic reactivation in cancer.

AB - Cancer meiomitosis is defined as the concurrent activation of both mitotic and meiotic machineries in neoplastic cells that confer a selective advantage together with increased genomic instability. MeiCT (meiosis-specific cancer/testis) genes that perform specialized functions in the germline events required for the first meiotic division are ectopically expressed in several cancers. Here we describe the expression profiles of meiCT genes and proteins across a number of cancers and review the proposed mechanisms that increase aneuploidy and elicit reduction division in polyploid cells. These mechanisms are centered on the overexpression and function of meiCT proteins in cancers under various conditions that includes a response to genotoxic stress. Since meiCT genes are transcriptionally repressed in somatic cells, their target offers a promising therapeutic approach with limited toxicity to healthy tissues. Throughout the review, we provide a detailed description of the roles for each gene in the context of meiosis and we discuss proposed functions and outcomes resulting from their ectopic reactivation in cancer.

KW - Meiomitosis

KW - meiosis

KW - carcinogenesis

KW - cancer testis antigens (CTA)

KW - lymphoma

KW - sezary syndrome

KW - mycosis fungoides

KW - cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)

KW - adenocarcinoma

KW - squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)

KW - melanoma

U2 - 10.1080/15384101.2020.1743902

DO - 10.1080/15384101.2020.1743902

M3 - Review

C2 - 32223693

VL - 19

SP - 837

EP - 854

JO - Cell Cycle

JF - Cell Cycle

SN - 1538-4101

IS - 8

ER -