Calponin. Developmental isoforms and a low molecular weight variant.
Two-dimensional gel analysis of basic proteins in developing human smooth muscle identifies calponin as a prominent marker of the differentiated phenotype. Adult tissue (human and mouse) typically expresses up to four calponin isoforms, three of which appear sequentially during fetal development: adult myometrial cells express the same three isoforms in primary culture in vitro and these are down-regulated, in reverse order, during the subsequent modulation of phenotype. Monospecific, polyclonal antibodies against calponin identify a lower molecular weight variant of calponin (L-calponin) that is strongly and specifically expressed in adult smooth muscles of the human urogenital tract. L-calponin is down-regulated in benign smooth muscle derived tumors (leiomyoma) and is not expressed in primary cultures of normal uterine tissue.
Institute of Molecular Biology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Salzburg.
A
A
Draeger
M
M
Gimona
A
A
Stuckert
J E
JE
Celis
J V
JV
Small
D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D046508:Culture Techniques; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D008970:Molecular Weight; D024510:Muscle Development; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D000096985:Calponins
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D000096985:Calponins