Pirin delocalization in melanoma progression identified by high content immuno-detection based approaches.
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.
Licciulli
Silvia
S
Department of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy.
Luise
Chiara
C
Zanardi
Andrea
A
Giorgetti
Luca
L
Viale
Giuseppe
G
Lanfrancone
Luisa
L
Carbone
Roberta
R
Alcalay
Myriam
M
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
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D049308:Dioxygenases; C105340:PIR protein, human