Expression of GPC3, an X-linked recessive overgrowth gene, is silenced in malignant mesothelioma

Gene expression changes in rat asbestos-induced malignant mesothelioma (MM) cells were investigated by differential mRNA display. A mRNA transcript id entified by this approach was abundant in normal rat mesothelial cells but not expressed in rat MM cell lines. Northern blot analysis confirmed that t his transcript is uniformly silenced in rat MM cell lines and primary tumor s. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that this transcript is encoded by the rat glypican 3 gene (GPC3), whose human homolog is mutated in the Simp son-Golabi-Behmel overgrowth syndrome. Allelic loss at the GPC3 locus was i nfrequent (6.9%) in MM cell lines, and no mutations were found. GPC3 transc ript levels were markedly decreased in 16 of 18 primary tumors and 17 of 22 human MM cell Lines. Most of the cell lines were shown to have aberrant me thylation of the GPC3 promoter region. In two of four human MM cell lines t ested, GPC3 expression was restored after 2-deoxy 5-azacytidine (DAC)-media ted demethylation of its promoter region. Ectopic expression of GPC3 inhibi ted in vitro colony formation of human MM cells, Collectively, these data s uggest that down-regulation of GPC3 is a common occurrence in MM and that G PC3, an X-linked recessive overgrowth gene, may encode a negative regulator of mesothelial cell growth.