Elative to the total CDC25A transcripts in NSCLC cell lines and tissue samples, the “Total” real time-PCR assay determines total CDC25A template in reaction (Cttot) while the “wt” real time-PCR assay determines the target gene which is the Epigenetics CDC25Awt template (Ctwt), thenCDC25A-Q110del Novel Isoform Role in Lung Cancercalculate the CDC25AQ110del = DCt = (Ctwt2Cttot). B. Standard curve illustrating Ct values corresponding to different ratios of CDC25Awt: CDC25AQ110del, pEF6-V5-His-CDC25Awt and pEF6-V5-His-CDC25AQ110del were incorporated together at several ratios as template in each uniplex real time PCR reaction, run in triplicates, then the CDC25AQ110del calculated (CDC25AQ110del = DCt = Ctwt2Cttot). C. 50 of the NSCLC show CDC25AQ110del values that correspond to 30?0 of total CDC25A templates in reference to the standard curve (B), while the HBEC cell lines express ,20 of total CDC25A templates (P 
= .003). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046464.gCellular localization and mitotic activity of CDC25AQ110delIn H1299 cells, CDC25AQ110del showed considerable increase in nuclear localization than CDC25Awt (Fig. 4A). 24 hrs after UV irradiation, the cells transfected with CDC25AQ110del showed higher protein stability albeit the increased phosphorylation of the upstream DNA damage response (DDR) marker pChk1-ser345 (Fig. 4B). As new evidence points CDC25A as a CDC25 family member required for full activation of nuclear CDK1 [11,28,29], and since Q110del is closest to S116 – the CDK1 phosphorylation site critical for stabilizing CDC25A in a feedback loop during mitosis – [11], besides our findings that showed the CDC25AQ110del to drive the cells more through mitosis compared to the CDC25Awt (Fig. 3D), we perused to investigate the effect of CDC25AQ110del on mitotic activity and on CDK1 activation. After transfecting 293F cells with CDC25AQ110del-EGFP, we observed an increase in the proportion of cells in mitotic phase, a phenomenon that was not seen in the cells transfected with CDC25Awt-EGFP (Fig. 4C). Compared to the cells transfected with CDC25Awt-EGFP, the cells transfected with CDC25AQ110del -EGFP showed a lower level of phosphorylation at CDK1Tyr15, 24 hrs after the transfection (Fig. 4D), which is consistent with the presence of more active CDK1 to promote G2/M phase transition (Fig. 3D). The decrease in the total CDK1 in the CDC25Awt and CDC25AQ110del transfected cells-compared to the control- is expected, since arrest at the cell cycle G2/M phase (Fig. 3D), can cause repression of CDK1 expression on transcriptional level in a time and cell type dependent Autophagy manner [30].DiscussionCDC25A level is tightly regulated so that cell cycle progression and checkpoint transition is maintained in physiological conditions [20,26,31?5]. Previously, we reported that CDC25A is often over expressed in NSCLC at the transcription level [7]. In this study, we report the identification of a novel CDC25A isoform, CDC25AQ110del, resulting from an alternative RNA splicing. We found that CDC25AQ110del was expressed in the majority of the 
NSCLC cell lines as well as primary tumors. In addition, the finding that histologically normal tissues adjacent to cancer frequently expressed CDC25AQ110del implies that this is an early event and may play an important biological function in lung tumorigenesis. CDC25AQ110del lacks a glutamine at position 110 which is adjacent to 2 conserved serine phosphorylation sites at positions 116 and 124 (Fig. 1). S116 can be phosphorylated.Elative to the total CDC25A transcripts in NSCLC cell lines and tissue samples, the “Total” real time-PCR assay determines total CDC25A template in reaction (Cttot) while the “wt” real time-PCR assay determines the target gene which is the CDC25Awt template (Ctwt), thenCDC25A-Q110del Novel Isoform Role in Lung Cancercalculate the CDC25AQ110del = DCt = (Ctwt2Cttot). B. Standard curve illustrating Ct values corresponding to different ratios of CDC25Awt: CDC25AQ110del, pEF6-V5-His-CDC25Awt and pEF6-V5-His-CDC25AQ110del were incorporated together at several ratios as template in each uniplex real time PCR reaction, run in triplicates, then the CDC25AQ110del calculated (CDC25AQ110del = DCt = Ctwt2Cttot). C. 50 of the NSCLC show CDC25AQ110del values that correspond to 30?0 of total CDC25A templates in reference to the standard curve (B), while the HBEC cell lines express ,20 of total CDC25A templates (P = .003). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046464.gCellular localization and mitotic activity of CDC25AQ110delIn H1299 cells, CDC25AQ110del showed considerable increase in nuclear localization than CDC25Awt (Fig. 4A). 24 hrs after UV irradiation, the cells transfected with CDC25AQ110del showed higher protein stability albeit the increased phosphorylation of the upstream DNA damage response (DDR) marker pChk1-ser345 (Fig. 4B). As new evidence points CDC25A as a CDC25 family member required for full activation of nuclear CDK1 [11,28,29], and since Q110del is closest to S116 – the CDK1 phosphorylation site critical for stabilizing CDC25A in a feedback loop during mitosis – [11], besides our findings that showed the CDC25AQ110del to drive the cells more through mitosis compared to the CDC25Awt (Fig. 3D), we perused to investigate the effect of CDC25AQ110del on mitotic activity and on CDK1 activation. After transfecting 293F cells with CDC25AQ110del-EGFP, we observed an increase in the proportion of cells in mitotic phase, a phenomenon that was not seen in the cells transfected with CDC25Awt-EGFP (Fig. 4C). Compared to the cells transfected with CDC25Awt-EGFP, the cells transfected with CDC25AQ110del -EGFP showed a lower level of phosphorylation at CDK1Tyr15, 24 hrs after the transfection (Fig. 4D), which is consistent with the presence of more active CDK1 to promote G2/M phase transition (Fig. 3D). The decrease in the total CDK1 in the CDC25Awt and CDC25AQ110del transfected cells-compared to the control- is expected, since arrest at the cell cycle G2/M phase (Fig. 3D), can cause repression of CDK1 expression on transcriptional level in a time and cell type dependent manner [30].DiscussionCDC25A level is tightly regulated so that cell cycle progression and checkpoint transition is maintained in physiological conditions [20,26,31?5]. Previously, we reported that CDC25A is often over expressed in NSCLC at the transcription level [7]. In this study, we report the identification of a novel CDC25A isoform, CDC25AQ110del, resulting from an alternative RNA splicing. We found that CDC25AQ110del was expressed in the majority of the NSCLC cell lines as well as primary tumors. In addition, the finding that histologically normal tissues adjacent to cancer frequently expressed CDC25AQ110del implies that this is an early event and may play an important biological function in lung tumorigenesis. CDC25AQ110del lacks a glutamine at position 110 which is adjacent to 2 conserved serine phosphorylation sites at positions 116 and 124 (Fig. 1). S116 can be phosphorylated.