Quantitative determination of the expression of xeroderma pigmentosum F gene in human nonmelanoma skin cancers

Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) has been evidenced with an impaired functio n in nucleotide excision repair (NER). However, malfunction of NER elements in NMSC has not been identified. Xeroderma pigmentosum F (XPF) is an essen tial subunit in NER and functions as a 5'-incision enzyme when repairing da maged DNA, So far, neither XPF's protein nor antibody is commercially avail able. To explore the expression of XPF in NMSC, the gene was determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All the designed primers specifically amplified XPF cDNA as demonstrated by nes ted PCR, and one set of the primers was mimic constructed to form a control led cDNA for the semiquantification of XPF gene in NMSC. The results indica ted that the quantities of XPF expression of BCC and SCC specimens were app roximately 57.0 and 76.4% less than that of normal skins, respectively. Thi s paper indicates that the decrease expression of XPF gene may be one of me chanisms for impaired NER in NMSC, and the feasible and quantitative primer s used in the experiments may explore the study of XPF in etiology Of carci nogenesis. (C) 2000 Academic Press.