Poon, Fan Fong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-124). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Content --- p.vi / List of Figures --- p.xi / List of Tables --- p.xiii / List of Abbreviations --- p.xiv / List of papers published during the study --- p.xvi / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction and Aim of Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- General Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Project objective and potential significances --- p.6 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Reviews --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- Cancer genetics --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Oncogenes and TSGs --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Kundsońةs two-hit event of cancer gene --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Cancer Epigenetics --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Types of Epigenetic regulation --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- DNA methylation in TSGs --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Promoter CpG island in DNA methylation --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Protection system in DNA methylation --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Transcriptional silencing by DNA methylation --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.2.4 --- DNA methylation of TSG silencing in cancers --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Hypomethylation of the cancer genome --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Clinical relevance of cancer epigenetic --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- EGFR/STAT/SOCS pathway --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- General Introduction of the EGFR pathway --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- EGFR survival signaling pathways --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- EGFR/STAT/SOCS signaling --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- EGFR/STAT/SOCS signaling and cancers --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.4.1 --- EGF and cancers --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.4.2 --- EGFR/STAT/SOCS pathway and cancers --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.4.3 --- EGF survival signaling as a target for cancer therapy --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4 --- TSGs in the EGFR/STAT/SOCS pathway --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) family --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Sprouty (SPRY) family --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT (PIASs) family --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4.5 --- Ras and Rab Interactor (RIN) family --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.6 --- Ras-association domain family (RASSF) --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.7 --- Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) --- p.28 / Chapter 2.5 --- Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Epidemiology of NPC --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Histopathology of NPC --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Genetic and epigenetic alteration in NPC --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.4 --- EGFR signaling in NPC --- p.32 / Chapter 2.6 --- Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) --- p.33 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Epidemiology of ESCC --- p.34 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Histopathology of ESCC --- p.34 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Genetic and epigenetic alteration in ESCC --- p.35 / Chapter 2.6.4 --- EGFR signaling in ESCC --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Materials and Methods --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1 --- General Materials --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- "Cell lines, tumor and normal tissue samples" --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Maintenance of cell lines --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Drugs treatment of cell lines --- p.39 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Total RNA extraction --- p.39 / Chapter 3.1.5 --- Genomic DNA extraction --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2 --- General techniques --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- TA cloning and blunt end cloning of PCR product --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Transformation of cloning products to E. coli competent cells --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Preparation of plasmid DNA --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.4.1 --- Mini-prep plasmid DNA extraction --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.4.2 --- Midi-prep of plasmid DNA --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Measurement of DNA or RNA concentrations --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- DNA sequencing of plasmid DNA and PCR products --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3 --- Preparation of reagents and medium --- p.43 / Chapter 3.4 --- Semi-quatitative Reverse-Transcription (RT) PCR expression analysis --- p.44 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Reverse transcriptin reaction --- p.44 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Semi-quantitative RT-PCR --- p.44 / Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- Primers design --- p.44 / Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- PCR reaction --- p.46 / Chapter 3.5 --- Methylation analysis of candidate genes --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Bisulfite treatment of genomic DNA --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) --- p.48 / Chapter 3.5.2.1 --- Bioinformatics prediction of CpG island --- p.48 / Chapter 3.5.2.2 --- Primers design --- p.48 / Chapter 3.5.2.3 --- PCR reaction --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Bisulfite Genomic Sequencing (BGS) --- p.50 / Chapter 3.6 --- Construction of expression vectors of candidate genes --- p.51 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Sub-cloning of expression vector of candidate genes --- p.51 / Chapter 3.6.1.1 --- Mouse Socsl expression vector --- p.51 / Chapter 3.6.1.2 --- SPRY1 expression vector --- p.51 / Chapter 3.6.1.3 --- GNMT expression vector --- p.52 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Restriction digestion of cloning vectors and expression --- p.52 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Ligation of cloning fragments --- p.53 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- Colony formation assay on monolayer culture --- p.53 / Chapter 3.6.5 --- Statistical analysis --- p.54 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Screening of candidate TSGs in EGFR pathway --- p.55 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Restoration of GNMT expression by pharmacological demethylation --- p.89 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Confirmation of the methylation status of GNMT promoter by BGS --- p.90 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Methylation status of GNMT in ESCC and NPC primary tumors --- p.90 / Chapter 5.3.6 --- GNMT inhibited the growth of tumor cells in-vitro --- p.90 / Chapter 5.3.7 --- Discussion --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- General Discussion --- p.100 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Summary --- p.105 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Future Study --- p.107 / Reference --- p.109