Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 20, 2026

An Immunofluorescent Method for Characterization of Barrett’s Esophagus Cells
08:54

An Immunofluorescent Method for Characterization of Barrett’s Esophagus Cells

Published on: July 20, 2014

Correlation of cytoplasmic beta-catenin and cyclin D1 overexpression during thyroid carcinogenesis around

Serik Meirmanov1, Masahiro Nakashima, Hisayoshi Kondo

  • 1Department of Molecular Pathology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.

Thyroid : Official Journal of the American Thyroid Association
|August 22, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Radioactive fallout from the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site is linked to thyroid cancer. Aberrant beta-catenin and cyclin D1 expression were found in papillary thyroid cancers near the site, suggesting a role in radiation-induced tumors.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site (SNTS) in Kazakhstan is contaminated with radioactive fallout.
  • Thyroid cancer is a concern in populations exposed to radiation.
  • Alterations in oncogenic molecules may elucidate the link between radiation and thyroid cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze beta-catenin and cyclin D1 expression in thyroid carcinomas around the SNTS.
  • To investigate the relationship between radiation exposure and molecular alterations in thyroid tumors.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemical analysis of beta-catenin and cyclin D1.
  • Examination of thyroid tissues: 9 chronic thyroiditis, 8 follicular adenomas, and 23 papillary carcinomas.
  • Comparison of expression levels between tumor types and with sporadic cases.

Main Results:

  • Strong cytosolic beta-catenin expression was observed in all papillary carcinomas.
  • Cyclin D1 overexpression was evident in 62.5% of follicular adenomas and 87.0% of papillary carcinomas.
  • A strong correlation between cytoplasmic beta-catenin and cyclin D1 expression was suggested in thyroid tumors.
  • Papillary thyroid cancers near the SNTS showed higher prevalence of aberrant beta-catenin and cyclin D1 overexpression compared to sporadic cases.

Conclusions:

  • Aberrant beta-catenin and cyclin D1 expression are prevalent in papillary thyroid cancers near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.
  • These molecular alterations may play a role in radiation-induced thyroid tumorigenesis.
  • Further analysis of Wnt signaling pathway molecules is crucial for understanding radiation-induced thyroid cancer.

More Related Videos

Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer05:39

Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Published on: February 3, 2023

Experimental Approaches to Study Mitochondrial Localization and Function of a Nuclear Cell Cycle Kinase, Cdk113:15

Experimental Approaches to Study Mitochondrial Localization and Function of a Nuclear Cell Cycle Kinase, Cdk1

Published on: February 25, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Catenins01:23

Catenins

Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
Positive Regulator Molecules02:39

Positive Regulator Molecules

Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis02:15

M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis

Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes01:05

Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cadherins in Tissue Organization01:19

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
The Nucleolus02:55

The Nucleolus

The nucleolus is the most prominent substructure of the nucleus. When it was first discovered, it was considered to be an isolated organelle that forms fibrils and granules. In 1931, the relationship between the nucleolus and chromosomes was first described by Heitz. He observed that the appearance and size of nucleolus varies depending on the stage of the cell cycle. He also noticed constricted regions on different chromosomes clustered together at definite cell cycle stages. These regions,...