Differential expression of NF1 type I and type II isoforms in sporadic borderline and invasive epithelial ovarian tumors.

The NF1 gene, a putative tumor suppressor gene, contains a GAP related domain (GRD) which accelerates hydrolysis of ras-bound GTP to GDP, thereby converting the ras oncogene from its active to inactive form. Two forms of the NF1 GRD transcript (Type I and Type II) are differentially expressed in neuroectodermal tumor tissue relative to differentiated neural cells, and in gastric cancer cell lines relative to normal stomach mucosa. We measured relative expression of NF1 Type II and Type I isoforms in cultured normal and malignant human ovarian surface epithelial cells(HOSE) and in invasive and borderline ovarian tumor tissue. We demonstrated an 11-fold increase in Type II:Type I ratio in 7 HOSE cultures relative to eight ovarian cancer cell lines. Our findings indicate a significant decrease in Type II isoform expression and increase in Type I expression in ovarian cancer cells and tumor tissue relative to HOSE cells. We also demonstrate an increase in Type II:Type I ratio, and a decrease in cell proliferation rate in three ovarian cancer cell lines on treatment with retinoic acid. We propose that differential expression of the NF1 Type I and Type II isoforms is related to cellular differentiation in ovarian epithelial cancer and strategies based on alteration in NF1 isoform expression may have therapeutic potential in ovarian malignancies.