Expression of a truncated form of hHb1 hair keratin in human breast carcinomas

C. H. Régnier (1, 2) , A. Boulay (1, 2) , P. H. Asch (3) , C. Wendling (1, 2) , Marie Pierrette Chenard (4) , C. Tomasetto (1, 2) , Marie-Christine Rio (1, 2)

1 IGBMC - Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire
2 CHU Strasbourg - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire [Strasbourg]
3 HUS - Les Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg
4 Hôpital de Hautepierre [Strasbourg]

Human hHb1 belongs to the type II hard keratin family and is physiologically expressed in hair shafts. In the present study, using specific 3' and 5' probes for hHb1, we established that breast carcinomas ectopically express a hHb1 5'-truncated mRNA, and that this transcript is restricted to malignant epithelial cells. Furthermore, an in vitro study indicated that it could be translated. We concluded that, in breast carcinomas, expression of truncated hHb1 is related to epithelial cell transformation. Because the hHb1 gene maps to 12q11-q13, a chromosome region known to present several breakpoints in solid tumours, we propose that the hHb1 gene might represent a target for such alterations.

Domaines: Biochimie, Biologie Moléculaire

C. H. Régnier, A. Boulay, P. H. Asch, C. Wendling, Marie Pierrette Chenard, et al.. Expression of a truncated form of hHb1 hair keratin in human breast carcinomas. British Journal of Cancer, 1998, 78 (12), pp.1640-1644. ⟨10.1038/bjc.1998.736⟩. ⟨hal-04022406⟩