Over Expression of Minichromosome Maintenance Genes is Clinically Correlated to Cervical Carcinogenesis

Minichromosome Maintenance (MCM) proteins play important roles in cell cycle progression by mediating DNA replication initiation and elongation. Among 10 MCM homologues MCM 2-7 form a hexamer and assemble to the pre-replication complex acting as replication licensing factors. Binding and function of MCM2-7 to pre-replication complex is regulated by MCM10 mediated binding of RECQL4 with MCM2-7. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of MCMs in cervical cancer and their correlation with the clinical parameters of cervical cancer. We have investigated sixty primary cervical cancer tissue samples, eight cervical cancer cell lines and thirty hysterectomised normal cervical tissue. The expression profiling of MCMs was done using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. MCM2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and RECQL4 are significantly over-expressed in cervical cancer. Among these, MCM4, 6 and 10 show increased frequency of over expression along with advancement of tumor stages. MCM4, 5 and 6 also show differential expression in different types of lesion, while MCM2 and MCM10 are over expressed in cervical cancer irrespective of clinico-pathological parameters. Our data indicates the role of MCM4, MCM5, MCM6, MCM10 and RECQL4 in the progression of cervical cancer.