title: Biochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of cathepsins B, H, L and D in human melanocytic tumours.
abstract: We carried out biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses of cathepsins B, H, L and D in human melanocytic tumours using monospecific antibodies against rat cathepsins. In Western blot analysis, anti-rat cathepsin antibodies reacted with the cathepsins from normal human tissues and human malignant melanoma. However, the molecular profiles of the cathepsins from human melanoma were slightly different from those of the rat cathepsins, suggesting a distinct intracellular processing mechanism for cathepsins in human melanoma. Although cathepsins B, H, L and D were expressed in primary and metastatic melanomas and pigmented naevi immunohistochemically, the intensity of staining in metastatic melanomas was stronger than in primary melanomas and pigmented naevi. These findings suggest that anti-rat cathepsin antibodies may be useful in biochemical and/or immunohistochemical analysis of human melanocytic tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kageshita
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maruo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Himeno
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000378:metabolism; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000378:metabolism; D056655:Cathepsin H; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008545:Melanoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D018329:Nevus, Blue / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D051381:Rats; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002403:Cathepsins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D002401:Cathepsin B; C534281:CTSL protein, human; D056668:Cathepsin L; C534280:Ctsl protein, rat; C534126:CTSH protein, human; D056655:Cathepsin H; C534128:Ctsh protein, rat; D002402:Cathepsin D