Genes Involved in Human Ribosome Biogenesis are Transcriptionally Upregulated in Colorectal Cancer

Microarray gene expression profiling comprising 168 colorectal adenocarcinomas and 10 normal mucosas showed that over 79% of the genes involved in human ribosome biogenesis are significantly upregulated ( log2>0.5 , p<10−3 ) when compared to normal mucosa. Overexpression was independent of microsatellite status. The promoters of the genes studied showed a significant enrichment for several transcription factor binding sites. There was a significant correlation between the number of binding site targets for these transcription factors and the observed gene transcript upregulation. The upregulation of rRNA processing genes points towards a coordinated process enabling the overproduction of matured ribosomal structures.