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. Seabra^5,6,7, Veronique Cocquyt², Patrick Pauwels^3,9, 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