DLC-1 as a modulator of proliferation, apoptosis and migration in Burkitt’s lymphoma cells

Deleted in liver cancer-1(DLC-1) gene expression is frequently down-regulated or deleted in many types of human cancer. To evaluate whether DLC-1 could be a therapeutic target for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), we examined the expressions of DLC-1 in Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) cell lines and tested the effects of DLC-1 on cellular growth and migration in BL cells. DLC-1 expression was not detectable in two human BL cell lines, Raji and Daudi, by reverse transcription-PCR. The transfer of DLC-1 into Raji and Daudi cell lines caused a significant inhibition in cell proliferation. This inhibitory effect on cell proliferation in BL cell lines was accompanied by induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, restoration of DLC-1 expression in BL cells had a significant inhibitory effect on migration. Our findings suggest that DLC-1 may play an important role in lymphoma by acting as a bona fide new tumor suppressor gene.