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Precise measurement of the E-cadherin repressor Snail in formalin-fixed endometrial carcinoma using protein lysate microarrays

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Abstract

Over-expression of the zinc finger transcription factor Snail leads to down-regulation of the epithelial proteins E-cadherin and Cytokeratin 18 and to upregulation of the mesenchymal protein Vimentin. The aim of our study was to characterize for the first time Snail protein expression in formalin-fixed primary tumour tissues using protein lysate microarrays and correlate Snail with E-cadherin, Cytokeratin 18, and Vimentin protein abundances. In a first feasibility study, we examined 17 formalin-fixed endometrioid adenocarcinomas by protein lysate microarrays. Snail expression showed a statistical significant inverse correlation with the expression of E-cadherin (< 0.001). A trend for correlation between Snail and Cytokeratin 18 ( = 0.043) and the tumour grade ( = 0.074) was seen. For Snail and Vimentin no correlation was found ( = 0.384). In conclusion, our results fit to the proposed function of Snail as a transcriptional repressor of E-cadherin and Cytokeratin 18 in primary human carcinomas and demonstrate the usefulness of protein lysate microarrays for the precise determination of proteins involved in epithelial-mesenchymal-transition.

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Abbreviations

ATCC:

American type culture collection

CK18:

Cytokeratin 18

ECACC:

European collection of cell cultures

EMT:

Epithelial-mesenchymal-transition

ER:

Estrogen receptor

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide

siRNA:

Small interfering RNA

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Acknowledgement

We thank Christina Schott for excellent technical assistance. This study was supported in parts by grants from the Deutsche Krebshilfe (grant number 106947) to KFB and HH and from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) to KFB and HH (BE 1501/3-1)

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Correspondence to Karl-Friedrich Becker.

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Hipp, S., Walch, A., Schuster, T. et al. Precise measurement of the E-cadherin repressor Snail in formalin-fixed endometrial carcinoma using protein lysate microarrays. Clin Exp Metastasis 25, 679–683 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10585-008-9149-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10585-008-9149-3

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