title: Elevated procaspase levels in human melanoma.
abstract: In this study procaspase expression levels were investigated by Western blotting in a panel of established melanoma cell lines, transformed melanocytic cell lines and normal primary melanocytes. Upstream caspases such as procaspase-8 that contain a death effector domain were found to be overexpressed in transformed melanocytes and melanoma cell lines compared with melanocytes. Heterogeneous levels of procaspase-8 were seen in melanoma cells, including one cell line that completely lacked procaspase-8 expression. Procaspase-10 is generally overexpressed in transformed melanocytes and melanoma cell lines. Expression of the downstream procaspases-3 and -7 was increased in melanoma cells compared with normal melanocytes. Procaspases containing caspase recruitment domains such as procaspase-2 were expressed at similar levels in nearly all the cell lines investigated. Reduced levels of procaspase-1 compared with normal melanocytes were detected in transformed melanocytes and melanoma cell lines. These data indicate that procaspase levels in general increase during the malignant transformation of melanocytic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Section of Experimental Oncology/Molecular Pharmacology, University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schlagbauer-Wadl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Selzer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pehamberger
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D020169:Caspases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D020169:Caspases