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Lymphotoxin gene expression by melanocytes and melanoma cell lines and persistence of unspliced mRNA
Author(s) -
Melani Cecilia,
Silvani Anna,
Parmiani Giorgio,
Colombo Mario P.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)80451-y
Subject(s) - lymphotoxin , persistence (discontinuity) , messenger rna , gene expression , melanoma , gene , cell culture , biology , lymphotoxin alpha , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , genetics , immunology , tumor necrosis factor alpha , geotechnical engineering , engineering
Human melanoma cell lines express many different cytokines [1], including lymphotoxin (LT), the production of which has been considered to be restricted to cells of the lymphocytic lineage in response to cell activation. LT expression by melanomas is constitutive and characterized by the presence of two mRNAs. In the present paper we report an analysis of the origin of the two LT‐specific transcripts in four human melanoma cell lines at different stages of progression and in four melanocytic cell lines. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) performed with primers lying in the first and fourth exons and hybridization with intron probes showed a spliced and a full‐unspliced LT mRNA. This pattern was also displayed by one out of four melanocyte cell lines. Western blot analysis indicated that LT RNA is properly translated to a 23–25 kDa protein and immunocytochemistry showed its localization within the cytoplasm and on the cell membrane.