사람 위선암에서 cathepsin L의 발현증가

Abstract

cathepsin L은 lysosomal cysteine 단백분해효소로서 기저막(basement membrane)과 세포외기질(extracellular matrix)을 파괴하여 암세포의 침윤과 전이에 중요한 역할을 하는 물질로 알려져 있다. 이러한 cathepsin L에 대한 mRNA 발현도를 5개의 사람 위선암(gastric adenocarcinoma) 세포주와 5명의 위선암 환자에서 채취한 조직에서 방사능으로 표지된 cathepsin L특이 cDNA를 사용한 Northern blot법으로 측정하였다. 위암의 전이병소에서 수립한 세포주인 SNU-5, SNU-16, MKN-45와 Kato Ⅲ에서는 cathepsin L mRNA가 발현되었으나 원발병소에서 수립한 AGS 세포주에서는 mRNA의 발현이 관찰되지 않았다. 5명의 위암 환자에서는 원발병소, 전이가 확인된 임파절 및 암 근처 정상 위점막에서 각각 조직을 채취하여 cathepsin L mRNA의 발현을 측정하였다. 원발병소와 전이병소에서는 모두 cathepsin L mRNA가 발현되었으나 정상 위점막조직에서는 전예에서 mRNA 발현이 관찰되지 않았다. 한편 mRNA의 발현도는 1예에서는 전이병소가 원발병소에 비해 높았으나, 2예에서는 전이병소에서 발현도가 낮았으며, 나머지 2예에서는 원발병소와 전이병소 사이에 차이가 없어, 원발병소와 전이병소 사이에 mRNA의 발현도의 일관성 있는 경향은 관찰되?? 않았다. 이상의 결과는 cathepsin L은 위암의 발생과 진행에 있어 암세포의 침윤과 전이를 촉진하는 것 이외에 또 다른 역할을 할 가능성을 시사하고 있다고 사료된다.

Cathepsin L, a lysosomal cysteine protease, is known to play an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis by degrading the components of basement membrane and extracellular matrix. The mRNA expression of cathepsin L was determined by Northern blot analysis using a radiolabeled cDNA specific for cathepsin L in five human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines and five surgical specimens of primary gastric adenocarcinomas, their metastatic lymph nodes and matched adjacent normal mucosae. The mRNA of cathepsin L was expressed in all of the four cell lines established from the metastatic sites, SNU-5, SNU-16, MKN-45 and Kato Ⅲ, while not detected in one cell line established from the primary site, AGS. The mRNA was expressed in all of the five primary and five metastatic cancer specimens tested, while it was not detected in all matched normal mucosae. The intensities of the mRNA expressions, however, did not show the consistent pattern between primary sites and metastatic lymph nodes. These results suggest that cathepsin L may have the other function in addition to facilitation of the invasion and metastasis during the development and progression of stomach cancer.

Cathepsin L, a lysosomal cysteine protease, is known to play an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis by degrading the components of basement membrane and extracellular matrix. The mRNA expression of cathepsin L was determined by Northern blot analysis using a radiolabeled cDNA specific for cathepsin L in five human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines and five surgical specimens of primary gastric adenocarcinomas, their metastatic lymph nodes and matched adjacent normal mucosae. The mRNA of cathepsin L was expressed in all of the four cell lines established from the metastatic sites, SNU-5, SNU-16, MKN-45 and Kato Ⅲ, while not detected in one cell line established from the primary site, AGS. The mRNA was expressed in all of the five primary and five metastatic cancer specimens tested, while it was not detected in all matched normal mucosae. The intensities of the mRNA expressions, however, did not show the consistent pattern between primary sites and metastatic lymph nodes. These results suggest that cathepsin L may have the other function in addition to facilitation of the invasion and metastasis during the development and progression of stomach cancer.