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| | Schematic representation of human tenascin-W is shown. |
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| Description | Tenascin-W is built up of different structural motifs arranged in a linear order, namely amino-terminal heptad repeats, 3.5 EGF-like repeats, 9 FN III domains, and a carboxyl-terminal fibrinogen globe.
The primary sequence encodes a protein of 1294 amino acids. Amino acids 1-16 represent the secretion signal, amino acids 150-254 constitute the EGF-like repeats, and amino acids 255-1054 account for the FNIII domains. FN III domain number 3 was subject to duplication as indicated by the dark boxes in the schematic representation. Tenascin-W is known to form hexameric structures called hexabrachions.
SDS-Page analysis revealed a molecular weight of 160kDa per subunit under reducing conditions.
So far, there is no evidence for alternative splicing. |
| Expression | Initially, tenascin-W was identified in zebrafish where it was expressed in migrating cells of sclerotomal and neural crest origin. More recently, tenascin-W was characterized in mouse and chicken during embryogenesis as well as in the adult organism. These studies revealed that tenascin-W, similar to tenascin-C, shows tight regulation during development and in the adult. Immunohistochemistry showed prominent expression in the developing and adult metanephric kidney, developing and adult periosteum around ribs, and transient expression in smooth muscles of the developing gut, often but not always overlapping with tenascin-C expression. Furthermore, tenascin-W is highly expressed in the tumor stroma in different solid tumors.
Tenascin-W is most likely produced and secreted by mesenchymal cells such as fibroblasts and osteoblasts.
Known stimuli that induce tenascin-W expression include so far tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2). |
| Localisation | Extracellular matrix. |
| Function | Adhesion: Tenascin-W is an adhesive substratum for some cells (osteoblasts, fibroblasts), while others cannot attach and spread on tenascin-W.
Migration: Tenascin-W stimulates the migratory behavior of cells. |
| Homology | Tenascin-W belongs to the tenascin family, which is a highly conserved family of large oligomeric extracellular matrix proteins. Vertebrate genomes harbor four tenascin genes, which have been termed tenascin-C, tenascin-XB (TNXB), tenascin-R, and tenascin-W.
Human tenascin-W shows high sequence conservation with mouse tenascin-W. |
| Zebrafish tenascin-W, a new member of the tenascin family. |
| Weber P, Montag D, Schachner M. |
| J Neurobiol. 1998 Apr;35(1):1-16. |
| PMID 9552162 |
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| Murine tenascin-W: a novel mammalian tenascin expressed in kidney and at sites of bone and smooth muscle development. |
| Scherberich A, Tucker RP, Samandari E, Brown-Luedi M, Martin D, Chiquet-Ehrismann R. |
| J Cell Sci. 2004 Feb 1;117(Pt 4):571-81. Epub 2004 Jan 6. |
| PMID 14709716 |
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| Tenascin-W is found in malignant mammry tumors, promotes alpha8 integrin-dependent motility and requires p38MAPK activity for BMP-2 and TNF alpha induced expression in vitro. |
| Scherberich A, Tucker RP, Degen M, Brown-Luedi M, Andres AC, Chiquet-Ehrismann R. |
| Oncogene. 2005 Feb 24;24(9):1525-32. |
| PMID 15592496 |
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| Avian tenascin-W: expression in smooth muscle and bone, and effects on calvarial cell spreading and adhesion in vitro. |
| Meloty-Kapella C, Degen M, Chiquet-Ehrismann R, Tucker RP. |
| Dev Dyn. 2006 Jun;235(6):1532-42. |
| PMID 16534782 |
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| Phylogenetic analysis of the tenascin gene family: evidence of origin early in the chordate lineage. |
| Tucker RP, Drabikowski K, Hess JF, Ferralli J, Chiquet-Ehrismann R, Adams JC. |
| BMC Evol Biol. 2006 Aug 7;6:60. |
| PMID 16893461 |
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| Tenascin-W is a novel marker for activated tumor stroma in low-grade human breast cancer and influences cell behavior. |
| Degen M, Brellier F, Kain R, Ruiz C, Terracciano L, Orend G, Chiquet-Ehrismann R. |
| Canc Res 2007; 67: 9169-9179. |
| PMID 17909022 |
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| Tenascin-W, a new marker of cancer stroma, is elevated in sera of colon and breast cancer patients. |
| Degen M, Brellier F, Schenk S, Driscoll R, Zaman K, Stupp R, Tornillo L, Terracciano L, Chiquet-Ehrismann R, Rüegg C, Seelentag W. |
| Int J Cancer in press. |
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