MAGE genes expression in human uveal melanoma cells

    Abstract

    Original article

    MAGE genes expression in human uveal melanoma cells

    S.P. Zvereva, M.V. Zhilnikova, M.M. Biryukov, M.N. Balantaeva, V.V. Atamanov, D.V. Chernykh, O.S. Stanishevskaya, N.V. Kononova, O.A. Koval

    Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution, Novosibirsk branch, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

    Relevance. The aggressive phenotype of the metastatic uveal melanoma (UM) and its significant physiological differences from skin melanoma dictate the discovering of new drugs, especially tumor-targeted drugs. Proteins of melanoma antigen family gene (MAGE), which are expressed in many human tumors, can become such targets.

    Purpos. To evaluate the mRNA expression level of MAGE-A3/6 and MAGE-D2 genes in human UM personal cell cultures as potential targets for target therapy.

    Material and methods. Based on the analysis of the full-transcriptome sequencing database of UM samples from 80 patients available on The Cancer Genome Atlas Program TCGA portal, MAGE-A3/6 and MAGE-D2 genes belonging to type I and type II of MAGE genes, respectively, were selected for analysis. Nine UM cell lines prepared previously from patient tumor material, as well as U87-MG, U251-MG, A375 and SH-SY5Y cells were used. Total RNA was isolated from the cells and real-time RT-PCR reactions were performed using specific primers.

    Results. We found that only 2 of the 9 UM cells, uMel1 and uMel5, had increased mRNA expression of the MAGE-A3/6 gene, and the observed increase was an order of magnitude lower than in the case of U251-MG, A375, and SH-SY5Y cells. In the case of the MAGE-D2 gene, all UM cells expressed MAGE-D2 mRNA. MAGE-D2 mRNA levels were also found to be high in SH-SY5Y cells. Database analysis showed that UM was more typical by the expression of MAGE type II genes, to which the MAGE-D2 gene belongs.

    Conclusion. The expression pattern of MAGE-D2 and MAGE-A3/6 genes is different for UM, glioma and neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell cultures. It is unlikely that the formation of malignant phenotype in UM cells is associated with MAGE-A3/6 proteins. Human UM cells are more typical by the expression of MAGE-D2 mRNA than MAGE-A3/6, which potentially may be a target for antitumor drugs.

    Key words: uveal melanoma, uveal melanoma cell lines, MAGE-A3/6, MAGE-D2, SH-SY5Y, targeted therapy

    For citation: Zvereva S.P., Zhilnikova M.V., Biryukov M.M., Balantaeva M.N., Atamanov V.V., Chernykh D.V., Stanishevskaya O.S., Kononova N.V., Koval’ O.A. MAGE genes expression in human uveal melanoma cells. Fyodorov Journal of Ophthalmic Surgery. 2025; 2s(145): 40–47.

    DOI: 10.25276/0235-4160-2025-2S-40-47

    Corresponding author: Sof’ya P. Zvereva, zvereksonik@gmail.com