The identification and differential expression of calcium-binding proteinsassociated with ocular melanoma

Calcium-binding proteins may endow tumor cells with properties related to t heir malignancy and metastatic phenotype. Chromatographic procedures and am ino acid sequence analysis were used in this study to identify seven calciu m-binding proteins, annexiu. VI, cap g, annexin V, calmodulin, S100A11, S10 0B and S100A6, associated with uveal melanoma, the primary ocular tumor of adults. This series of calcium-binding proteins was identified in both prim ary tumors and cell lines of uveal melanoma. Several of the proteins were s hown by immunochemical methods to be differentially expressed between norma l uveal melanocytes and malignant melanomas of the uvea. In addition, the e xpression of S100A6 may correlate with the malignant properties of the tumo r. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.