title: Pirin delocalization in melanoma progression identified by high content immuno-detection based approaches.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pirin (PIR) is a highly conserved nuclear protein originally isolated as an interactor of NFI/CTF1 transcription/replication factor. It is a member of the functionally diverse cupin superfamily and its activity has been linked to different biological and molecular processes, such as regulation of transcription, apoptosis, stress response and enzymatic processes. Although its precise role in these functions has not yet been defined, PIR expression is known to be deregulated in several human malignancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed immunohistochemical analysis of PIR expression in primary samples from normal human tissues and tumors and identified a dislocation of PIR to the cytoplasm in a subset of melanomas, and a positive correlation between cytoplasmic PIR levels and melanoma progression. PIR localization was subsequently analyzed in vitro in melanoma cell lines through a high content immunofluorescence based approach (ImmunoCell-Array).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high consistency between in vivo and in vitro results obtained by immunohistochemistry and ImmunoCell-Array provides a validation of the potential of ImmunoCell-Array technology for the rapid screening of putative biological markers, and suggests that cytoplasmic localization of PIR may represent a characteristic of melanoma progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Licciulli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luise
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanardi
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giorgetti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viale
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lanfrancone
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcalay
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049308:Dioxygenases; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D049308:Dioxygenases; C105340:PIR protein, human