The Immuno-fluorescence Quantity Analysis of α-Tubulin and γ-Tubulin Protein in Precancerous Lesion and Carcinoma of the Breast and Its Significance

OBJECTIVE To investigate the changes and values of the expression of α-tubulin and γ-tubulin in atypical ductal hyperplasia （ADH）, ductal carcinoma in situ （DCIS） and invasive ductal carcinoma （IDC） of the breast. The relationship between centrosome abnormalities and breast tumor development was further discussed. METHODS There were three groups including ADH, DCIS and IDC with 30 cases in each group. They were analyzed by immuno-fiuorescence quantity analysis. The expression levels of α-tubulin and γ-tubulin protein in these tissues were detected by flow cytometry immuno-fiuorescence analysis and compared with the results from normal tissues. Immunohistochemistry was also performed in this research. RESULTS The results showed significant differences of the average of the positive （FITC labeled） cells （P=0.000） among the four groups. The level of the IDC group was the highest, while normal breast tissue showed the lowest level. The results suggested that the expression levels of α-tubulin and γ-tubulin both increased as the grade of cellular proliferation and differentiation increased. The expressions showed significant differences among all the groups, except between the ADH and DCIS. There were no significant differences between α-tubulin and γ-tubulin expression in each group （P〈0.05）, as there was agreement in the immuno-fluorescence and immunohistochemical analysis for protein expression. CONCLUSION There is abnormal expression of centrosome tubulin as an early event in the development of breast tumor. Furthermore these aberrations may play a key role during oncogenesis and promote cellular transformation to malignancy. The immuno-fiuorescence quantitive analysis and immunohistochemistry can complement each other.

Loss of the centrosomal protein Cenpj leads to dysfunction of the hypothalamus and obesity in mice

Cenpj is a centrosomal protein located at the centrosomes and the base of cilia,it plays essential roles in regulating neurogenesis and cerebral cortex development.Although centrosomal and cilium dysfunction are one of the causes of obesity,insulin resistance,and type 2 diabetes,the role that Cenpj plays in the regulation of body weight remains unclear.Here,we deleted Cenpj by crossing Cenpjflox/flox mice with Nkx2.1-Cre mice.Loss of the centrosomal protein Cenpj in Nkx2.1-expressing cells causes morbid obesity in mice at approximately 4 months of age with expended brain ventricles but no change of brain size.We found that hypothalamic cells exhibited reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis upon Cenpj depletion at the embryonic stages,resulting in a dramatic decrease in the number of Proopiomelanocortin(POMC)neurons and electrophysiological dysfunction of NPY neurons in the arcuate nucleus(ARC)in adults.Furthermore,depletion of Cenpj also reduced the neuronal projection from the ARC to the paraventricular nucleus(PVN),with decreased melanocortin-4 receptors(MC4R)expression in PVN neurons.The study defines the roles that Cenpj plays in regulating hypothalamus development and body weight,providing a foundation for further understanding of the pathological mechanisms of related diseases.