Down-regulation of SMT3A gene expression in association with DNA synthesis induction after X-ray irradiation in nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) cells

Fibroblast cells derived from nevoid basal carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) patients show increased levels of DNA synthesis after X-ray irradiation. Genes, whose expression is modulated in association with the DNA synthesis induction, were searched by using PCR-based mRNA differential display analysis in one of the NBCCS cell lines, NBCCS1 cells. Decreased levels of SMT3A gene expression were found in X-ray-irradiated NBCCS1 cells. This decrease was also shown by RT-PCR analysis in another cell line, NBCCS3 cells. In addition to NBCCS cells, normal fibroblast cells showed the DNA synthesis induction after X-ray irradiation when they were treated with antisense oligonucleotides (AO) for SMT3A. However, treatment of normal fibroblasts with the random oligonucleotides (RO) resulted in decreased levels of DNA synthesis after X-ray irradiation. Thus, down-regulation of SMT3A gene expression may be involved in the DNA synthesis induction after X-ray irradiation in the NBCCS cells at least tested. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.