Expression, Regulation und subzelluäre Lokalisation von Tight Junction-Komponenten in Metastasierungsmodellen humaner duktaler Pankreaskarzinomzellen

Prognosis of pancreatic ductal carinoma is very poor due to most late diagnosis of an inoperable or metastasized tumor. Therefore, understanding of the process of metastasis is highly relevant in treatmant of pancreatic ductal carinoma. The Tight Junction proteins (claudins, occludin), tight junction associated Proteins (ZO-1, ZO-2) and adherens junction proteins (E-Cadherin) may be involved in this process and, hence, were subject to further investigations concerning their expression, regulation and localization in models for metastasis of human ductal pancreatic carcinoma cells. Expression of the Tight junction components was not found clearly assoziated to the grade of metastasis in pancreatic ductal carcinoma cells, however, their lokation was regulated by activation of the MAPK-cascade. In neuroendocrine pancreatic carcinoma cell lines also DNA hypermethylation seems to influence the expression of single members of the claudine family.