Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
Published on: October 27, 2020
Altered expression of beta-catenin/E-cadherin in meningiomas
E C Brunner1, B F M Romeike, M Jung
1Institute of Human Genetics, Medical School, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Aims:
Meningiomas are generally slow-growing benign tumours representing approximately 20% of all primary intracranial tumours. The hallmark of tumorigenesis of meningiomas is the loss of chromosome 22, including loss of heterozygosity of the neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene. The NF2 encoded protein merlin appears to function as a tumour suppressor gene by controlling cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion. The E-cadherin cell adhesion system includes beta-catenin that indirectly connects cadherin to actin filaments. The aim of this study was to analyse the expression and the subcellular location of E-cadherin and beta-catenin in human meningiomas, including meningiomas of different histomorphological subtypes and different World Health Organization (WHO) grades.
Methods And Results:
Immunohistochemical analysis revealed lack of E-cadherin expression at the cell membrane in 34% of meningiomas independent of their WHO grade. Loss of membranous beta-catenin occurred in 79% of meningiomas. An intense perinuclear granular immunoreactivity of beta-catenin without nuclear location was detected in the majority of meningiomas. Both immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis of fractionated meningioma cells located beta-catenin mostly on the Golgi apparatus and ER/Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC). Cytogenetic analysis of meningiomas showed no correlation between NF2 loss and the loss of the proper location of beta-catenin.
Conclusions:
The lack of membranous beta-catenin and/or membranous E-cadherin in meningiomas may indicate an altered interaction between meningioma cells independent of loss of NF2 and independent of the tumour grade.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cadherins in Tissue Organization
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Catenins
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...
Structure of Cadherins
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Abnormal Proliferation
Master Transcription Regulators
