Gene expression profiling of human Ewing sarcoma cells after knockdown of EGR2 or EWSR1-FLI1.

To get insight in the functional role of EGR2 for Ewing sarcoma, we performed a transcriptional profiling of Ewing sarcoma cells after knockdown of EGR2 and compared the resulting transcriptional signature with that of EWSR1-FLI1-silenced Ewing sarcoma cells. In accordance with the strong EGR2-induction by EWSR1-FLI1, both genes highly significantly overlap in their transcriptional signatures. Gene-set enrichment analyses (GSEA) and DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualisation and Integrated Discovery) gene ontology analyses indicated a strong impact of EGR2 on cholesterol and lipid biosynthesis resembling its function in orchestrating lipid metabolism of myelinating Schwann cells. A673 and SK-N-MC Ewing sarcoma cells were transfected with specific siRNAs directed against EGR2 or EWSR1-FLI1 or non-targeting control siRNA. 48 h thereafter RNA was harvested and processed for microarray analysis.