Vinculin

Vinculin is a 117130 kDa cytoskeletal protein. Its gene is encoded on human chromosome 10q11.2-qter (4). Vinculin has a globular head and an extended tail. The head contains an a-actinin binding site, and a talin-binding site. The tail contains a paxillin-binding site and an F-actin binding site. Vinculin is widely distributed in human tissue and is expressed where smooth muscle actin and fibroblasts attach to the extracellular matrix.

Immunohistochemical expression

Vascular walls
In adult human kidneys, vinculin was expressed in the epithelial cells of distal tubules and collecting ducts from normal renal tissues, but not by the cells of proximal tubules and glomeruli.

	Renal tumours	conventional renal cell carcinoma	0/541
		papillary carcinoma	5/121
		Chromophobe carcinoma	5/51
		Collecting duct carcinoma	3/31
		sarcomatoid carcinoma	3/41
		Oncocytoma	1/11

Diagnostic utility

Differentiation between types of renal tumours.

References

1 Kuroda N, Naruse K, Miyazaki E, et al. Vinculin: its possible use as a marker of normal collecting ducts and renal neoplasms with collecting duct system phenotype. Mod Pathol 2000; 13:1109-14

This page last revised 16.6.2007.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop