Ecto‐ATP diphosphohydrolase/CD39 is overexpressed in differentiated human melanomas

FEBS Letters

Dzhandzhugazyan, Karine N¹  Zeuthen, Jesper¹  thor Straten, Per¹  Kirkin, Alexei F¹ 

[1] Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Institute of Cancer Biology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, Bldg. 7.1, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

关键词: CD39;    Ecto-ATPase;    Adhesion;    Differentiation marker;    Immune escape mechanism;    Human melanoma;    ATPDase;    ATP diphosphohydrolase;    CTL;    cytotoxic T-lymphocytes;    RT-PCR;    reverse transcriptase-coupled polymerase chain reaction;    mABs;    monoclonal antibodies;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(98)00603-6

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown