title: Molecular characterization of desmosomes in meningiomas and arachnoidal tissue.
abstract: Intercellular junctions morphologically identical to epithelial desmosomes are known structures in meningiomas and arachnoidal tissue. Desmoplakin as one of the desmosomal plaque components has proven to be a reliable marker for diagnosis of meningeal tumors. Here we demonstrate by immunofluorescence microscopy, immunoblot and reverse transcription-PCR reactions that cells of arachnoidal tissue, of diverse meningioma subtypes and of a meningioma-derived cell line contain the full complement of the typical desmosomal proteins desmoplakin (DP), plakophilin 2 (PP2), desmocollin 2 (Dsc2) and desmoglein 2 (Dsg2). Consequently, all these molecules are suitable for diagnostic applications of meningioma tumors. In addition to these constitutive desmosomal components, representative for single-layered (simple) epithelia, the dural border cells of the arachnoid and about 60% of the meningiomas tested were positive for desmocollin 3 (Dsc3), a protein in epithelia taken as an indicator for differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akat
authors.forename: Hans-Dieter
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Mennel
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gassler
authors.forename: Christopher K E
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Bleck
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kartenbeck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001099:Arachnoid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051187:Desmocollins; D051301:Desmoglein 2; D051182:Desmogleins; D051180:Desmoplakins; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008579:Meningioma / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D051191:Plakophilins; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C081561:DSC2 protein, human; C490356:DSC3 protein, human; C495314:DSG2 protein, human; C495294:DSP protein, human; D051187:Desmocollins; D051301:Desmoglein 2; D051182:Desmogleins; D051180:Desmoplakins; C489912:Dsc2 protein, mouse; C495315:Dsg2 protein, mouse; C495295:Dsp protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C495337:PKP2 protein, human; C495338:Pkp2 protein, mouse; D051191:Plakophilins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C090171:Dsc3 protein, mouse