The role of the DNMT recruiting protein LSH in hepatoblastoma

Introduction: LSH (lympoid specific helicase) is a member of the SNF2 helicase family and plays an essential role in de novo methylation of DNA. Hepatoblastoma (HB) displays a high degree of promoter hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing of tumor suppressor genes. Methods: Knockdown of LSH was accomplished by RNA interference, expression measured by real-time PCR and Western blot, methylation analysis by pyrosequencing, and growth by BrdU-assays. Results: LSH is strongly overexpressed in HB cell lines as well as in most tumor tissues. Knockdown of LSH resulted in the reexpression of the silenced tumor s…