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Hallmark for development of testicular tumors found in genes

Date:
November 21, 2013
Source:
Landes Bioscience
Summary:
Researchers have studied the role of a peculiar class of small non-coding RNAs that are mainly expressed in the human male germline.
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Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) in Barcelona, Spain, have studied the role of a peculiar class of small non-coding RNAs that are mainly expressed in the human male germline. Whereas messenger RNAs transmit the genetic information required for protein synthesis, non-coding RNAs are functional molecules that are never translated into proteins and have important roles in diverse cellular processes.

In human spermatozoa, these tiny RNAs are epigenetically regulated (by changes in the genome that do not alter the DNA sequence, such as DNA methylation) and play a critical role in male germline development. Importantly, these RNAs have also been detected in human cancer cells.

In a work published in the January 2014 issue of Epigenetics, which is entirely devoted to "Non-coding RNAs in Epigenetic Regulation," the researchers asked if in their natural functional context (the normal human testis) these small RNAs undergo aberrant epigenetic regulation, compromising their function and contributing to the transformation of cells into testicular tumor cells. The reported data suggest that epigenetic disruption of an entire small non-coding RNA pathway in human testis is indeed a hallmark for the development of testicular tumors.


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Materials provided by Landes Bioscience. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Humberto J Ferreira, Holger Heyn, Xavier Garcia del Muro, August Vidal, Sara Larriba, Clara Muñoz, Alberto Villanueva, Manel Esteller. Epigenetic loss of the PIWI/piRNA machinery in human testicular tumorigenesis. Epigenetics, 2014; 9 (1) DOI: 10.4161/epi.27237

Cite This Page:

Landes Bioscience. "Hallmark for development of testicular tumors found in genes." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 November 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131121155033.htm>.
Landes Bioscience. (2013, November 21). Hallmark for development of testicular tumors found in genes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131121155033.htm
Landes Bioscience. "Hallmark for development of testicular tumors found in genes." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131121155033.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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