WCU Biomodulation Major, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-921, Korea.
Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2010 Aug 21;8:100. doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-8-100.
Cysteine cathepsins (CTSs) are involved in the degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix and are associated with cell transformation, differentiation, motility, and adhesion. These functions are also related to cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Chickens spontaneously develop epithelial ovarian cancer and are therefore a good animal model for human ovarian cancer. However, no studies have investigated the expression of CTSs in chickens with ovarian cancer.
Cancerous (n = 5) and normal (n = 3) ovaries were collected from 2-to 3-year-old hens, and ovarian tissue samples were collected for study. Ovarian cancers were evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Reverse transcriptase and quantitative PCR analyses, in situ hybridization analysis were performed to examine the mRNA expression pattern of three CTSs in detail, and protein expression of CTSB was evaluated.
The CTSB, CTSC, and CTSS genes were highly expressed in cancerous chicken ovaries. Messenger RNAs for the three CTSs were localized to a nodule area, a major characteristic of cancerous ovaries, but the three CTSs showed no specific localization in normal ovaries. Immunoreactive CTSB protein was present in the nodule area of cancerous ovaries.
Our results suggest that CTSB, CTSC, and CTSS have important functions in the development of epithelial ovarian cancer.
半胱氨酸组织蛋白酶（CTSs）参与细胞外基质的降解和重塑，与细胞转化、分化、迁移和黏附有关。这些功能也与癌细胞的侵袭和转移有关。鸡会自发地患上上皮性卵巢癌，因此是研究人类卵巢癌的良好动物模型。然而，目前尚无研究调查 CTSs 在患有卵巢癌的鸡中的表达情况。
从 2 至 3 岁母鸡中采集癌性（n=5）和正常（n=3）卵巢，并采集卵巢组织样本进行研究。用苏木精和伊红染色评估卵巢癌。进行逆转录酶和定量 PCR 分析，原位杂交分析详细检查三种 CTSs 的 mRNA 表达模式，并评估 CTSB 的蛋白表达。
CTSB、CTSC 和 CTSS 基因在癌变鸡的卵巢中高度表达。三种 CTSs 的信使 RNA 定位于癌症卵巢的结节区域，这是癌症卵巢的主要特征，但三种 CTSs 在正常卵巢中没有特定的定位。免疫反应性 CTSB 蛋白存在于癌变卵巢的结节区域。
我们的研究结果表明 CTSB、CTSC 和 CTSS 在上皮性卵巢癌的发展中具有重要作用。
