Molecular and immunohistochemical analysis of signaling adaptor protein Crk in human cancers

Cancer Lett. 2002 Jun 6;180(1):55-61. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3835(01)00763-7.

Abstract

Crk is a signaling adaptor protein which is mostly composed of SH2 and SH3 domains, and has been shown to play a pivotal role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Because Crk was originally isolated as an avian sarcoma virus CT10 encoding oncoprotein v-Crk, we examined a potential role for c-Crk in the carcinogenesis of human cancers. First, to analyze gene mutations of c-Crk, we isolated a human bacterial artificial chromosome clone containing Crk genome and exon/intron structures. However, polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism methods failed to show any genomic mutations in the Crk exon which could be related to carcinogenesis. Second, immunohistochemical analysis of c-Crk-II demonstrated that the levels of c-Crk-II were significantly elevated in most of the tumors, particularly in the colon and lung cancers. Furthermore, immunoblot analysis using human lung cancer cell lines revealed that the expression levels of c-Crk-II were correlated to growth rates of cells. The elevated expression levels of c-Crk-II might be related to the development of human cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Cytosol / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Genetic
  • Oncogene Protein v-crk
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational
  • Protein Kinases / biosynthesis*
  • Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-crk
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins*
  • Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / biosynthesis*
  • Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / genetics
  • Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Time Factors
  • src Homology Domains

Substances

  • Oncogene Protein v-crk
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-crk
  • Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic
  • Protein Kinases