engleski

Transcription factors TCF-1 and LEF-1 involved in Wnt signaling are strongly expressed in glioblastoma

Wnt signaling pathway that was discovered 30 years ago has today proved to be one of the basic cellular pathways whose misregulation plays important roles in tumorigenesis. Central mediators of transcription of this pathway are members of Tcf/Lef transcription factor family. When wnt pathway is activated its main effector molecule, beta-catenin, is translocated to the nucleus, subsequently binding to Tcf/Lef transcription factor family members. The human Tcf/Lef family consists of four proteins, TCF-1, TCF-3, TCF-4 and LEF-1. In the present study we investigated the expression and cellular localization of both TCF-1 and LEF-1 transcription factors in glioblastoma – the most agressive brain tumor in humans. After immunostaining the cells were analyzed using Ellipse software (ViDiTo, Slovakia) and distributed into three categories according to the intensity of staining, which mirror the level of expression of the particular transcription factor. Our results demonstrate that 51, 6% of total glioblastoma sample had strong TCF-1 expression, 25, 8% had moderate, while in 23% there was weak or no expression of this transcription factor. The results obtained on LEF-1 were even more distinct showing 71% of samples with very strong LEF-1 expression, 19, 4% with moderate and only 9, 6% with weak or no protein present. Based on our results we can conclude that in glioblastomas there are elevated levels of expression of both TCF-1 and LEF-1 transcription factors involved in the Wnt signalling, with special regard to LEF-1, which is expressed stronger than TCF-1 in the majority of investigated samples.

TCF-1; LEF-1; Wnt signaling pathway; glioblastoma

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