Cadherin-11 is highly expressed in rhabdomyosarcomas and during differentiation of myoblasts in vitro.
Rhabdomyosarcomas bear a morphological and genetic resemblance to developing skeletal muscle. Apart from myogenic marker genes (bHLH factors, myosin, actin), cell adhesion molecules such as N-cadherin and N-CAM have been reported to be expressed both in rhabdomyosarcomas and during myogenesis. The present study demonstrates the expression of another cadherin, cadherin-11, in rhabdomyosarcomas and during differentiation of myoblasts in vitro: cadherin-11, a predominantly mesenchymal cell adhesion molecule, is highly expressed in embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas and alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas, which do not bear the Pax-3-FKHR fusion previously described. Cadherin-11 is down-regulated in normal skeletal muscle and after myotube formation in vitro. The results of this study suggest that cadherin-11 might be involved in myogenesis and that rhabdomyosarcomas may re-express or fail to down-regulate cadherin-11. Since alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas bearing the t(2;13) translocation do not express cadherin-11, it is postulated that Pax-3 and cadherin-11 might be linked and involved in the same myogenic pathway.
Markus
M A
MA
GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit, Institut für Pathologie, Neuherberg, Germany.
Reichmuth
C
C
Atkinson
M J
MJ
Reich
U
U
Hoffmann
I
I
Balling
R
R
Anderer
U
U
Höfler
H
H
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015820:Cadherins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C086960:osteoblast cadherin