title: Expression of Akt (protein kinase B) and its isoforms in malignant lymphomas.
abstract: Akt (protein kinase B) is a serine/threonine kinase involved in the regulation of cell survival signals. Akt is expressed in T- and B-lymphocytes and is activated in response to cytokine and antigen-receptor stimulation. Three isoforms of Akt have been identified, Akt-1, -2 and -3, but the expression pattern and specific functions of each have not yet been determined for many cell types. To determine whether Akt signaling is enhanced in human malignant lymphomas and to analyse the expression pattern of Akt isoforms in these neoplasms, Akt-1, -2 and -3 expression was studied in 38 cell lines derived from hematopoietic neoplasms, by RT-PCR and western blot analysis. The level of phosphorylated (active) Akt was also analysed in cell lines as well as in 72 human malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma tissues. The results suggest that there is constitutive activation of Akt in the majority of primary human lymphomas and hematopoietic cell lines and support its proposed key role in lymphoma cell survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA.
authors.forename: G Chris
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fillmore
authors.forename: Qifu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Chan-Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kojo S J
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Elenitoba-Johnson
authors.forename: Megan S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D017931:DNA Primers; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D020014:K562 Cells; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D007527:Isoenzymes; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt