title: Distinct protein expression and activity of transglutaminases found in different epidermal tumors.
abstract: We investigated protein expression and in situ activity of transglutaminases (TGs) in normal skin and various epidermal neoplasms. In normal skin, TG1 protein expression and TG activity were found at keratinocyte cell membranes in upper epidermis and granular layer, respectively. In seborrhoeic keratosis, TG1 protein was expressed evenly throughout tumors, while TG activity increased in gradient fashion from lower tumor area to cornified layer. In squamous cell carcinoma, TG1 protein was expressed at inner side of cell membranes, whereas TG activity was found in cytoplasm predominantly at horn pearls. In basal cell carcinoma, weak TG activity was found in cytoplasm of all tumor cells without the presence of TG1 protein. Immunoblotting and in situ activity assays using specific substrate peptides confirmed that TG2, but not TG1, contributed to the TG activity. These results suggested that different expression and activation of TGs may contribute to characteristics of the skin tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kurume University School of Medicine, and Kurume University Institute of Cutaneous Cell Biology, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karashima
authors.forename: Minao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furumura
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Bungo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saruta
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Natsuaki
authors.forename: Takekuni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakama
authors.forename: Chika
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohata
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsuruta
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hitomi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017492:Keratosis, Seborrheic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011498:Protein Precursors; C032253:involucrin; D011503:Transglutaminases; C105804:transglutaminase 1
keywords: basal cell carcinoma; keratinocyte differentiation; squamous cell carcinoma; transglutaminase