title: Differential expression of smooth muscle alpha-like actin between benign and malignant human pigment tissues.
abstract: When examining proteins in human pigment tissues, we found that a third actin-like protein, in addition to beta- and gamma-actin was more frequent and in a larger amount in benign tissues such as blue nevus and nevus pigmentosus, than in malignant melanoma. This third actin-like protein was immunologically stained with monoclonal antibodies reacting with several actin species and specific for smooth muscle alpha-actin. We propose that this third actin-like protein is probably smooth muscle alpha-actin and that different expressions of this third actin may possibly serve as a sensitive biochemical marker for the diagnosis of human malignant melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Cell Research, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sadano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baba
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000175:diagnosis; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000032:analysis*; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal