Expression of alpha B-crystallin in human brain tumors.
We have previously shown that alpha B-crystallin is a heat-shock protein which specifically accumulates in response to the expression of c-Ha-ras and v-mos oncogenes in mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Elevated levels of alpha B-crystallin mRNA or protein were shown to be associated with pathological conditions of the brain. Therefore, we have examined the expression of alpha B-crystallin in normal human brains and brain tumors by Western blot analysis. alpha B-crystallin is moderately expressed in adult but not fetal brain. Elevated levels of alpha B-crystallin expression are observed in glial tumors such as astrocytoma, glioblastoma multiforme, and oligodendroglioma. alpha B-crystallin in these tumors is predominately unphosphorylated. High amounts of accumulated alpha B-crystallin in astrocytic tumors are preferentially found in the more aggressive stages. Glioblastoma multiforme is exceptional in that high alpha B-crystallin expression is observed in only one half of the analyzed samples whereas no alpha B-crystallin could be detected in the other. These results indicate that alpha B-crystallin may be a useful biochemical marker for studying the pathogenesis of various human brain tumors.
Aoyama
A
A
Department of Pathology, University of Zurich, Medical School, Switzerland.
Steiger
R H
RH
Fröhli
E
E
Schäfer
R
R
von Deimling
A
A
Wiestler
O D
OD
Klemenz
R
R
D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D003459:Crystallins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D015870:Gene Expression; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation
D003459:Crystallins