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Ecto‐ATP diphosphohydrolase/CD39 is overexpressed in differentiated human melanomas
Author(s) -
Dzhandzhugazyan Karine N,
Kirkin Alexei F,
thor Straten Per,
Zeuthen Jesper
Publication year - 1998
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/s0014-5793(98)00603-6
Subject(s) - melanoma , biology , enzyme , cell culture , cell , atpase , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , immunology , biochemistry , genetics
Ecto‐ATPase activities of melanocytes and human melanoma cell lines differing in the stage of progression were compared. A dramatic increase in ecto‐ATPase activity above the level of normal melanocytes was demonstrated in the differentiated melanomas and was followed by a gradual decrease with tumor progression. The characteristics of this enzymatic activity were consistent with CD39/ecto‐ATP diphosphohydrolase (ATPDase) which was found to be the major ecto‐ATP‐hydrolysing enzyme in melanomas. Indeed, the expression of CD39 and the level of CD39 mRNA followed a similar pattern. Since CD39 is known to regulate homotypic adhesion and, supposedly, affects the disaggregation step, we suggest that overexpression of CD39 may enable tumor cells to reduce contacts with T‐lymphocytes and escape from immunological recognition.