cDNA microarray analysis of vestibular schwannomas.

BACKGROUND

Vestibular schwannomas are known to harbor mutations in the neurofibromatosis type 2 tumor suppressor gene, but the mechanism of the neurofibromatosis type 2 tumor suppressor gene action is not well understood. Identification of genes differentially expressed in normal and diseased tissues through the use of a large-scale, cDNA microarray approach may lead to increased understanding of pathways that lead to tumor formation.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the gene expression profiles in vestibular schwannomas in comparison with normal vestibular nerve tissues and to identify pathways that may be altered in schwannomas.

METHODS

Total RNA was extracted from one normal vestibular nerve and seven vestibular schwannomas. The normal vestibular nerve was from one of the seven patients with small vestibular schwannomas. Radiolabeled cDNA was synthesized and hybridized to cDNA microarray filters that contained 25,920 known genes or expressed sequence tags. Expression profiles were imaged and analyzed. Selected genes that showed three-fold or greater difference in the intensity between the normal nerve and the schwannomas were further examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

Forty-two genes (0.2%) were upregulated 3-fold or more in at least 5 of the 7 tumors when the filter images were compared with a normal adjacent vestibular nerve. Among them, osteonectin, an angiogenesis mediator, and RhoB GTPase, which is important in cell signaling, were significantly upregulated in 5 of 7 tumors. Among genes that were downregulated, an apoptosis-related LUCA-15 gene was highly underexpressed in 6 of 7 schwannomas when compared with the normal nerve. Also, ezrin, a relative of the NF2 protein, was significantly downregulated in 5 of 7 tumors. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry data support the cDNA microarray findings.

CONCLUSION

Our cDNA microarray analysis of schwannomas suggested several interesting and potentially important tumorigenesis pathways associated with vestibular schwannoma formation. Further in vivo study is necessary to define the roles of these identified genes and their potential relationships with the neurofibromatosis type 2 tumor suppressor gene.