Revisiting ubiquity and tissue specificity of human calpains.
The abundance of mRNAs transcribed from human genes of the calpain superfamily was studied in 72 human tissues and cell types by the Human Multiple Tissue Expression (MTE) Array technique. The analysis included the large subunits of mu- and m-calpains, the small subunits, calpastatin and calpain 3 (p94). Besides specific data on transcriptional activity, two major conclusions emerged: (i) 'ubiquitous' calpains are not expressed in all cell types, and (ii) a 'tissue-specific' calpain may be expressed in many cell types apart from the one in which it is particularly abundant. Therefore, the categoric classification of 'ubiquitous' vs. 'tissue-specific' calpains is a simplification.
Farkas
Attila
A
Institute of Enzymology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, PO Box 7, H-1518 Budapest, Hungary.
Tompa
Peter
P
Friedrich
Peter
P
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002154:Calpain / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C033668:calpastatin; D002154:Calpain