title: Expression of hnRNP A2/B1 proteins in small airway epithelial cells.
abstract: The overexpression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A2/B1, especially of B1 has been reported informative to detect pre-clinical lung cancer for early detection. However, relatively little work has been performed on the expression of hnRNP A2/B1 in non-malignant airway cells; such information is clearly required to investigate whether overexpression of this protein could be a specific marker for early lung cancer detection. In order to evaluate whether the expression of hnRNP A2/B1 is specific for cancer cells, we investigated the expression of the protein in human small airway epithelial (HSAE) cells. Using immunostaining and Western blotting with monoclonal antibodies, 4G8 (specifically reacts A2) and 2B2 (specific to B1), expression of hnRNP A2/B1 in HSAE cells was evaluated. Northern blotting and quantitative RT-PCR were also performed. In HSAE cells, hnRNP A2 as well as B1 were expressed primarily in the nucleus excluding the nucleolus, although the expression of A2 protein was weaker than that of B1 protein. Staining pattern of hnRNP A2/B1 in HSAE cells was similar to that observed in control cancer cells. Western blotting with 4G8 and 2B2 apparently demonstrated expression of A2 and B1 in HSAE cells. In Northern blotting, both hnRNP A2 mRNA and B1 mRNA were observed in HSAE cells as shown in control cancer cells. hnRNP A2/B1 was apparently expressed in HSAE cells, although the expression in HSAE cells was weaker than that of cancer cells. More quantitative determination of A2/B1 is required to elucidate their significance in early lung cancer detection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba-city, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan. irosato@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Hiroichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamma
authors.forename: Masachika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kagohashi
authors.forename: Morio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: Kiyohisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekizawa
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D034481:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D034481:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group A-B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C439768:hnRNP A2