title: Expression of E-cadherin-catenin complex in human benign schwannomas.
abstract: The Ca2+-dependent cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin has been known to express in normal and reactive Schwann cells in rodents, and to play an important role in Schwann cell-Schwann cell adhesion and maintenance of peripheral nervous tissue architecture. However, little is known about expression of E-cadherin in schwannomas. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cellular expression and localization of E-cadherin, and its associated protein, alpha E-, alpha N- and beta-catenins in human schwannomas, which are supposed to derive from Schwann cells. We tested the hypothesis that these proteins might show an altered expression/distribution in schwannoma cells which correlates with their neoplastic behavior, including sparse cell-cell contact, as seen those in meningiomas and various carcinomas. In human schwannomas, however, E-cadherin, alpha E-catenin, and beta-catenin were detected by western blotting and immunohistochemistry, whereas alpha N-catenin was not. Immunoprecipitation using anti-E-cadherin antibody resulted in alpha E-catenin forming a complex with E-cadherin. SSCP analysis revealed no mutations in the transmembrane domain or in intracellular catenin-binding site of E-cadherin. These data suggest that the E-cadherin-alpha E-catenin complex is well preserved in human schwannoma cells, which is compatible with its benign behavior, and these molecules might be used as additional cell markers of Schwann cell-derived tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Japan. hasegawa@ns.m.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tohma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukaya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kida
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008579:Meningioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin