Identification of proteins with increased levels in ameloblastic carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The comparative proteomic approach by a combination of 2-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is an attractive strategy for the discovery of cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The identification of protein biomarkers associated with ameloblastic carcinoma (AC), a malignant epithelial odontogenic tumor, will potentially improve the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy for this malignant neoplasm. The aim of the present study was to identify highly expressed proteins in AC that could be considered as potential biomarkers.


METHODS
The protein profile of an AC was compared with the protein profiles of 3 cases of benign ameloblastoma. Proteins that showed increased levels in AC were identified using MS, and the augmented amount of some of these proteins in the malignant lesion was confirmed by Western blot or immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
We detected a total of 782 spots in the protein profile of AC, and 19 of them, showing elevated levels compared with benign ameloblastoma, were identified using MS. These proteins have been implicated in several cellular functions, such as cell structure, metabolism, stress response, and signal transduction.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased expression of the identified proteins and the minor expression of some proteins that might inhibit tumor progression could be involved in the evolution from a benign lesion to carcinoma.
Assistant Professor, Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, D.F., México; and Departamento de Investigación, Escuela de Odontología, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, México.
Alejandro
A
García-Muñoz
Professor, Departamento de Investigación, Escuela de Odontología, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, México; and Patología Molecular, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Ronell
R
Bologna-Molina
Professor, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Facultad de Odontología, Portal de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F., México.
Beatriz
B
Aldape-Barrios
Professor, Departamento de Cirugía Maxilofacial, Hospital Juárez de México, México, D.F., México.
Carlos
C
Licéaga-Escalera
Professor, Departamento de Cirugía Maxilofacial, Hospital Juárez de México, México, D.F., México.
Luis A
LA
Montoya-Pérez
Professor, Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, CINVESTAV-IPN, México, D.F., México. Electronic address: marodri@cinvestav.mx.
Mario A
MA
Rodríguez
D000564:Ameloblastoma / Q000473:pathology; D000565:Ameloblasts / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D016764:Cell Polarity; D002843:Chromatin / Q000473:pathology; D003094:Collagen; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000032:analysis; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing / Q000379:methods; D053539:Keratin-19 / Q000032:analysis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009808:Odontogenic Tumors / Q000473:pathology*; D010449:Peptide Mapping / Q000379:methods; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002843:Chromatin; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D053539:Keratin-19; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D003094:Collagen; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases