2035

EPB41

4.1R|EL1|HE;erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1;EPB41;erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1

EPB4.1|P4.1|band 4.1|elliptocytosis 1, RH-linked|erythrocyte surface protein band 4.1|protein 4.1

1p33-p32

protein-coding

Meningiomas are common central nervous system tumors; however, the mechanisms underlying their pathogenesis are largely undefined. In this report, we demonstrate that a third Protein 4.1 family member, Protein 4.1R, functions as a meningioma tumor suppressor. We observed loss of Protein 4.1R expression in two meningioma cell lines (IOMM-Lee, CH157-MN) by Western blotting as well as in 6 of 15 sporadic meningiomas by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization. In support of a meningioma tumor suppressor function, Protein 4.1R overexpression resulted in reduced IOMM-Lee and CH157-MN cell proliferation. Similar to the Protein 4.1B and merlin tumor suppressors, Protein 4.1R membrane localization increased significantly under conditions of growth arrest in vitro. Lastly, we show that Protein 4.1R interacted with a subset of merlin/Protein 4.1B interactors including CD44 and betaII-spectrin. Collectively, these results suggest that Protein 4.1R functions as an important tumor suppressor in the molecular pathogenesis of meningioma.

Deletions of 1p occur in approximately 30% of meningiomas. Based on loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis, two regions on 1p have been suspected to be carriers of tumor suppressor genes. We chose the GADD45A and EPB41 genes as tumor suppressor candidates based on their function and chromosomal localization. We analyzed 19 cases of meningioma with LOH of 1p by means of sequencing of the GADD45A gene and Western blotting of the GADD45a protein. Twenty cases of meningioma without 1p LOH were also analyzed by Western blotting to find out if changes of the GADD45a protein expression occurred. Nineteen samples with 1p LOH (12 grade I; 7 grade II, WHO classification) and 20 samples without 1p LOH (18 grade I; 2 grade II) were also analyzed by means of real-time polymerase chain reaction to find abnormalities in EPB41 mRNA levels in meningioma. LOH analysis was performed using seven microsatellite markers: D1S508 (1p36.2), D1S199 (1p36.1) D1S2734 (1p36.1), D1S2720 (1p34), D1S197 (1p32), D1S162 (1p32), D1S429 (1p11). LOH analysis confirmed previously described localization of putative tumor suppressor genes on 1p and involvement in meningioma pathogenesis (1p36 and 1p32). The open reading frame of GADD45A and intron splicing sites showed neither mutations nor polymorphisms. GADD45a protein molecular weight and expression level were unaltered in meningiomas with and without 1p LOH. We conclude that the GADD45A gene is not involved in meningioma tumorigenesis. EPB41 gene expression was unchanged in all analyzed meningiomas. This suggests that involvement of the EPB41 gene (4.1R protein) in meningioma pathogenesis should be reconsidered.

The Drosophila discs large tumor suppressor protein, dlg, has been shown to regulate the growth of imaginal discs during embryogenesis [Woods, D. F. & Bryant, P. J. (1991) Cell 66, 451-464]. We cloned and sequenced the complete cDNA for a human B-lymphocyte 100-kDa protein that shares 60% amino acid identity with dlg. This human homologue of Drosophila discs large (hdlg) contains a C-terminal domain homologous to the known guanylate kinases, a src homology 3 region motif, and three dlg homology repeats. Two nonhomologous domains that can contain in-frame insertions result in at least four alternatively spliced isoforms of hdlg. Several hdlg RNA transcripts are widely distributed in human and murine tissues, and the protein is localized to regions of cell-cell contact. Protein 4.1, the defining member of a family that includes talin and merlin/schwannomin, has the same cellular localization as hdlg, and two sites within hdlg associate in vitro with the 30-kDa N-terminal domain of protein 4.1.