Aberrant Wnt-wingless signaling in gallbladder carcinomas

• Published in: Tando Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 339 - 346
• Main Authors: KIMURA, Yasutoshi, FURUHATA, Tomohisa, MUKAIYA, Mitsuhiro, YANAI, Yoshiyuki, KAWAKAMI, Masayo, SATOH, Masaaki, ICHIMIYA, Shingo, HIRAMA, Toshinori, HIRATA, Koichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Biliary Association 2000
• ISSN: 0914-0077; 1883-6879
• DOI: 10.11210/tando1987.14.4_339

To investigate the contribution of β-catenin to the development of gallbladder carcinoma, we searched for genetic alterations of the β-cetenin gene, ctnnb-1. Mutational analysis of exon 3 in ctnnb-1, which encodes the serine/threonine residues for GSK-3β phosphorylation sites was performed for 5 gallbladder cancers with pancreaticobiliary malunion, PMB and 8 noncancerous tissues with PBM. PCR-SSCP analysis showed super-shifted bands in the electrophoretic display, but no mutation was detected through nucleotide sequencing analysis near potential GSK-3βphosphorylation sites. We also performed immunohistochemical analysis of β-catenin protein in all cases, and confirmed accumulation in both the nucleus and cytoplasm in three of 5 cancer tissues, while neighboring noncancerous tissue and the biliary tissue with PBM alone displayed membrane staining. Our results indicated that abnormal Wnt-wingless signaling, resulting in β-catenin accumulations, might be involved in the malignant transformation rather than the development of gallbladder carcinomas.