Aberrant expression of the sox2 gene in malignant gliomas

Both genetic and epigenetic changes underlie the mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression. In this study, we analyzed sox2 gene expression and its epigenetic changes in primary cultures of malignant gliomas. The sox2 expression was detected in most (74%) gliomas, but not in morphologically normal brain tissue. These facts point to relationships between the sox2 transcription activity and the process of glioma malignant transformation. It was demonstrated that association of different areas of the sox2 gene with important epigenetic markers—posttranslational modifications of H3 histone H3K4ac and H3K9met3—did not correlate with sox2 expression. However, it suggests stochastic regulation of sox2 gene expression in malignant gliomas.