Expression of tubulin beta II in neuroepithelial tumors: reflection of architectural changes in the developing human brain.
Tubulin beta II (Tub-II) is widely distributed in the developing neuronal axons and dendrites. Recent studies have demonstrated that Tub-II is also important in the early development of the human brain, and Tub-II represents a marker for progenitor and neural stem cells. To elucidate the correlation between the developing brain and neuroepithelial tumors (NETs), the present study assessed Tub-II expression by NETs and normal brain tissue using immunohistochemical and immunoblot analyses. In the gliomas, decreased numbers and staining intensities of Tub-II-positive cells tended to be associated with increased differentiation. Conversely, neuronal neoplasms displayed high percentages and strong staining intensities among the Tub-II-positive cells, irrespective of differentiation. In neuronal neoplasms and neoplasms with neuronal differentiation, Tub-II staining was far more intense and more homogeneous than Tub-II staining in gliomas. These results indicate that the expression of Tub-II in NETs may reflect architectural changes in the developing brain and may support the hypothesis that neuroepithelial tumors originate from glioneuronal progenitor cells capable of generating astrocytic, and neuronal cell types.
Department of Pathology and Biodefense, Saga Medical School, Nabeshima 5-1-1, 849-8501, Saga, Japan. sugitaoy@post.saga-med.ac.jp
Yasuo
Y
Sugita
Yasuhiro
Y
Nakamura
Munehiko
M
Yamamoto
Eriko
E
Oda
Osamu
O
Tokunaga
Minoru
M
Shigemori
D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014404:Tubulin