Expression of microtubule-associated protein 2 in benign and malignant melanocytes: implications for differentiation and progression of cutaneous melanoma.

ABSTRACT: Cutaneous melanocytic neoplasms are known to acquire variable characteristics of neural crest differentiation. Melanocytic nevus cells in the dermis and desmoplastic melanomas often display characteristics of nerve sheath differentiation. The extent and nature of neuronal differentiation characteristics displayed by primary and metastatic melanoma cells are not well understood. Here, we describe induction of a juvenile isoform of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2c) in cultured metastatic melanoma cells by the differentiation inducer hexamethylene bisacetamide. Up-regulation of this MAP-2 isoform, a marker for immature neurons, is accompanied by extended dendritic morphology and down-regulation of tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1/gp75), a melanocyte differentiation marker. In a pan

SUBMITTER: Fang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1892002 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature