Department of Molecular Cell Biology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Oncol Rep. 2012 May;27(5):1451-4. doi: 10.3892/or.2012.1658. Epub 2012 Jan 26.
Synuclein α, β and γ are proteins usually found in neurodegenerative diseases. However, interestingly synucleins are expressed in cancer cells of several organs including ovary, mammary gland and colon. By immunocytochemistry using specific antibodies to γ synuclein (SNCG), we examined the distribution of this protein in poorly differentiated, compared to highly differentiated colon cancer cells. In poorly differentiated cancer cells tumors were very frequently stained intensely with antibodies to SNGG, suggesting high expression of this protein. In contrast, in highly differentiated cells, there was no labeling. Labeled cells could be found only at the edges or in between the lobules of the differentiated tumor cells. However, in moderately differentiated tumors, a weak cytoplasmic staining of SNCG was evident. Interestingly in cancer patients (stage II-IV) both poorly and highly differentiated tumor cells were often present in the same patient. Labeled cancer cells with SNCG were evident also in lymph nodes, around the wall of blood vessels and in fat tissue, where only poorly differentiated cancer cells were exclusively present. Since cancer cells with poor differentiation are believed to be aggressive with metastases formation it is suggested that SNCG can serve as a marker for the potential of the tumor cell for the rapid spreading and metastazing of the non-differentiated tumors.
α、β 和 γ 突触核蛋白通常存在于神经退行性疾病中。然而，有趣的是，突触核蛋白在包括卵巢、乳腺和结肠在内的几个器官的癌细胞中表达。通过使用针对 γ 突触核蛋白 (SNCG) 的特异性抗体进行免疫细胞化学染色，我们研究了这种蛋白在低分化与高分化结肠癌细胞中的分布。在低分化癌细胞中，SNCG 抗体强烈染色肿瘤的情况非常频繁，提示该蛋白高表达。相比之下，在高分化细胞中，没有标记。标记细胞只能在分化肿瘤细胞的边缘或小叶之间找到。然而，在中分化肿瘤中，SNCG 的弱细胞质染色是明显的。有趣的是，在癌症患者（II-IV 期）中，低分化和高分化肿瘤细胞经常同时存在于同一患者中。SNCG 标记的癌细胞也存在于淋巴结、血管壁周围和脂肪组织中，只有低分化的癌细胞存在于这些部位。由于人们认为低分化的癌细胞具有侵袭性，容易发生转移，因此 SNCG 可作为肿瘤细胞快速扩散和非分化肿瘤转移潜能的标志物。
