The International Journal of Developmental Biology

Int. J. Dev. Biol. 56: 363 - 368 (2012)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.120008ah

Vol 56, Issue 5

An immunohistochemical analysis of Rab27B distribution in fetal and adult tissue

Short Communication | Published: 25 June 2012

An Hendrix*,1,2, Kathleen Lambein*,3, Wendy Westbroek4, Miguel C. Seabra5,6,7, Veronique Cocquyt2, Patrick Pauwels3,9, Marc Bracke1, Christian Gespach1 and Olivier De Wever1

1Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Radiation Oncology and Experimental Cancer Research, 2Department of Medical Oncology and 3Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium, 4Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA, 5Molecular Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK, 6CEDOC, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, 7Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal, 8INSERM U938 Molecular and Clinical Oncology, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris Paris VI, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France, 9Department of Pathology, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium

Abstract

Regulated secretory pathways coordinated by small Rab GTPases are critically involved in intercellular communications. Here, we report the expression and localization of Rab27B in developing and differentiated epithelial human tissues by immunohistochemistry. Rab27B is poorly expressed in fetal tissues suggesting that several developmental mechanisms involved in epithelial differentiation and functions are mediated by other secretory Rab GTPases, such as Rab27A or Rab3 family members. In adult tissues, Rab27B is expressed in a wide variety of differentiated secretory epithelial cells, including those lining the salivary gland, gastrointestinal, mammary and prostate tracts. The complex pattern of Rab27B expression indicates that dysregulation of Rab27B-mediated secretion may have profound implications for disease pathology.

Keywords

development, small GTPase, exocytosis, secretory Rab, Rab27

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