Membralin (MBRL)

Membralin-1, has 1 N-terminal and 5 C-terminal transmembrane domains and potential sites for N-myristoylation and for phosphorylation. Immunofluorescence studies localized membralin to the cytoplasm when expressed in HEK293 cells. PCR analysis of a tumor cell panel showed that membralin-1 was expressed in ovarian and colorectal carcinomas, while breast and pancreatic carcinomas expressed only the shorter membralin-3 isoform. In situ hybridization and Western analysis detected membralin expression in 31 (78%) of 40 ovarian serous carcinoma tissues and in 2 (14%) of 14 serous borderline tumors but did not detect membralin expression in benign ovarian epithelium. Real-time PCR showed significantly higher membralin expression in ovarian serous carcinomas than in solid carcinoma tissues.