Ezrin and moesin expression in canine and feline osteosarcoma

Biological features of canine osteosarcomas (OS) differ markedly from those found in feline and resemble more human osteosarcomas, in particular for their high rate of metastasis and poor prognosis. Ezrin, radixin and moesin are members of the ERM protein family and link the actin cytoskeleton with the cell membrane. Ezrin and moesin have been shown to be of prognostic significance in tumor progression due to their role in the metastatic process. The objective of this study was to analyze ezrin and moesin protein expression in a series of dog (n = 16) and cat (n = 8) osteosarcoma samples using immunohistochemistry and western blot techniques. We found that cat OS have a higher moesin expression compared to dog OS, however, the active phosphorylated forms of moesin and ezrin Tyr353 were more abundant in the dog samples. A statistically significant difference was found for the low and high immunohistochemical scores of ezrin and pan-phospho-ERM proteins between cat and dog. Although phospho-ezrin Thr567 was higher in feline OS, the membranous localization in dog OS samples indicates the presence of the biologically active form. Therefore, the observed differences in phosphorylated forms of ezrin and moesin status should be further studied to demonstrate if they are relevant for different biological behavior between dog and cat OS.