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Photoreceptor differentiation in cerebellar medulloblastoma: evidence for a functional photopigment and authentic S-antigen (arrestin)

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Summary

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the putative photoreceptor differentiation found in certain cerebellar medulloblastomas. The analyses were focussed on S-antigen, rod-opsin (the apoprotein of the visual pigment rhodopsin) and 11-cis retinal (the prosthetic group of rhodopsin). Fresh frozen and paraffinembedded biopsy specimens of three medulloblastomas were investigated by means of immunocytochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and immunoblotting. As shown in paraffin sections, one out of the three tumors (tumor A) contained S-antigen- and rod-opsin-immunoreactive tumor cells. The immunoblotting technique revealed in this tumor a single protein band of approximately 48–50 kDa that reacted with the S-antigen antibody and three protein bands of approximately 40, 75 and 110 kDa recognized by the rod-opsin antibody. These bands could not be detected in the two remaining tumors (tumor B and C). The rod-opsin content of tumor A was quantified by the ELISA; 11.7 pmol rod-opsin were calculated for the biopsy. The HPLC demonstrated the presence of 11-cis- and all-trans-retinal in tumor A, but not in tumors B and C. Furthermore, it was shown that 11-cis-retinal was converted to all-trans-retinal upon illumination of the tumor extract. The ratio between 11-cis-and all-trans-retinal was approximately 1:1 before illumination and 3:5 after illumination. A total of 2–3 pmol of retinal was found in the biopsy of tumor A. In addition all-trans-retinol was present in this tumor. The results indicate that certain medulloblastomas express a functional photopigment and S-antigen, another protein of the phototransduction cascade. They strongly support the concept that medulloblastoma cells may differentiate along the photoreceptor cell lineage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Anatomie und Zytobiologie, Aulweg 123, W-6300, Giessen, Federal Republic of Germany

    C. M. Kramm & H. W. Korf

  2. Institut für Pathologie, Langhansstrasse 10, W.-6300, Giessen, FRG

    M. Czerwionka

  3. Institut für Neuropathologie, Arndtstrasse 16, W-6300, Giessen, FRG

    W. Schachenmayr

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Centre of Eye Research, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    W. J. de Grip

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  1. C. M. Kramm
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  2. H. W. Korf
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  3. M. Czerwionka
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  4. W. Schachenmayr
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  5. W. J. de Grip
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Supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to HWK (Ko 758/3-2) and from NWO-SON (The Netherlands) to WJdG

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Kramm, C.M., Korf, H.W., Czerwionka, M. et al. Photoreceptor differentiation in cerebellar medulloblastoma: evidence for a functional photopigment and authentic S-antigen (arrestin). Acta Neuropathol 81, 296–302 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305871

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305871

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