Immunocytochemical expression of microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) in small cell lung cancer cell lines with neuronal-like processes.

Five of six human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines changed morphologically into cells with neuronal-like processes on the extracellular matrix of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line PC-9 cells (PC-9 / ECM substrate). The features of the neuronal-like processes of these SCLC cell lines were examined immunocytochemically using monoclonal antibodies against beta-chains of tubulin and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2), which is somatodendritic MAP of neurons. It was observed that beta-chains of tubulin and MAP-2 were expressed along the neuronal-like processes of SCLC cell lines. These findings suggest that the beta-chains of tubulin and MAP-2 are expressed functionally in SCLC cell lines in association with the development of dendrite-like processes on PC-9 / ECM substrate.