Mass spectrometry-based profiling of histone posttranslational modifications in uveal melanoma tissue, human melanocytes, and uveal melanoma cell lines

Purpose: Epigenetic mechanisms and alterations in uveal melanoma (UM) development are still not well understood. In this pilot study, histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs), which are epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression, were analyzed in UM formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues and control tissue as well as in UM cell lines and healthy melanocytes to provide a deeper insight into the pathogenesis of UM and the potentially prognostic relevance of these molecular markers. Methods: FFPE tissue of UM (n=24) and normal choroid (n=4) as well as human UM cell lines (n=7), human skin melanocytes (n=6) and uveal melanocytes (n=2), were analyzed by a quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) approach.