Sarcolectin plays a role in normal and malignant cell growth

Aboubacar Kaba ^1,2 Pan Hong Jiang ³ Francoise Chany ², Charles Chany ^1,2

It has been established in recent years that a tissue antagonist of interferon, Sarcolectin (SCL), an animal lectin first discovered in 1969, plays an important role in normal and malignant cell growth. SCL reacts as a non-specific promoter of cellular DNA synthesis in equilibrium with the interferon (IFN) system. It can block IFN action by inhibiting the synthesis and the expression of IFN dependent secondary proteins. Interferons are responsible for down regulating cell growth and for promoting cell differentiation. Sarcolectin is released by numerous cells, including the human amniotic membrane (Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1969;132:943-950), in mouse rib cartilage (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1978;2333-2337) or mouse tumors (CR Acad Sci Paris 1969;269:1236-1237). The purification of 55 kDa Sarcolectin protein and its sequence, derived from human osteosarcoma cDNA, contains an open reading frame of 469 amino acids. The mature protein has an identity of approximately 78% with cytokeratine K2C7 intermediate filaments and 52% with vimentine. The SCL gcnc was expressed in mouse LTK cells and a recombinant protein of approximately 55 kDa possesses the same biological functions as the native one, since it inhibits the IFN-dependent antiviral state both in human and in mouse cell cultures. In pathological cases, SCL may play a role in the development of tumors and in co-ordination with more specific growth factors or hormone, as found in juvenile osteosarcomas or in AIDS cases.

For more information, contact kaba@biomedicale.univ-paris.fr

Paper presented at the International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Intervention Strategies; Paris, France; February 9 - 12, 2002; in the section on Predictive Markers.

http://www.cancerprev.org/Journal/Issues/26/101/1196/4472