The expression of some genes regulated by their DNA methylation is involved in pathogenesis and disease progression of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is characterised by abnormal differentiation and development of myeloid cells. Therefore, it is significant for us to work on investigating what factors regulate U2AF1 expression and hydroxymethylation in MDS patients. However, the members of TET protein family can change 5-methylcytosine (5mC) into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine5-methyl cytosine (5hmC). In general, 5mC and 5hmC levels maintain dynamic equilibrium, and their imbalance is associated with the onset and progression of some tumors. In this study, the expression and 5mC and 5hmC levels of U2AF1 gene decreased significantly after the treatment by decitabine in Mutz-1 cells. The decreased degree of 5hmC is far greater than that of 5mC. IDH2 expression decreased significantly followed by U2AF1 5hmC levels. However, the expression of other hydroxymethylation-related genes such as IDH1, TET1 and TET2 also decreased, but the difference did not achieve significance. Compared with IDH2 or U2AF1 wild-type MDS patients, U2AF1 expression and 5hmC level in patients with these two gene mutations were both significantly reduced.
Keywords: DNA methylation; MDS; U2AF1; hydroxymethylation.