OVEREXPRESSION OF ANNEXIN-V IN CYSTIC-FIBROSIS EPITHELIAL-CELLS FROM FETAL TRACHEA

In this report, we investigated the expression of annexins I, II, V, a nd VI by Northern and Western blot analysis in four cell lines isolate d hom human fetal tracheae. Two cell Lines were obtained from normal f etuses and the two others from fetuses with cystic fibrosis (CF). One CF fetus was heterozygous for the S549N and N1303K substitutions, wher eas the other was homozygous for the Delta F508 deletion. We found tha t the four annexins are always coexpressed. The expression of annexins I, II, and VI was the same in the four cell lines. In contrast, that of annexin V was significantly higher in CF than in normal cells. Thes e observations demonstrate that annexins I, II, V, and VI are independ ently regulated in tracheal epithelial cell lines, Moreover, they sugg est that the overexpressed annexin V, a Ca2+ channel, might profoundly modify Ca2+ transport across the membranes of CF cells. (C) 1995 Acad emic Press, Inc.