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Gene of the month
Gene of the month: the uroplakins
  1. Krithicck Sivakumaar1,2,
  2. Jon Griffin2,3,
  3. Ella Schofield2,4,
  4. James W F Catto2,4,
  5. Ibrahim Jubber2,4
  1. 1 Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
  2. 2 School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
  3. 3 Department of Histopathology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
  4. 4 Department of Urology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Jon Griffin, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Jonathan.griffin{at}sheffield.ac.uk

Abstract

Uroplakins are a family of membrane-spanning proteins highly specific to the urothelium. There are four uroplakin proteins in humans. These are encoded by the following UPK genes: UPK1A, UPK1B, UPK2 and UPK3. Uroplakin proteins span the apical membrane of umbrella cells of the urothelium, where they associate into urothelial plaques. This provides a barrier function to prevent passage of urine across the urothelium in the renal pelvis, ureters, and bladder. Uroplakins are also involved in developmental processes such as nephrogenesis. The specific localisation of uroplakins within the urothelium means that they are often expressed in primary and metastatic urothelial cell carcinoma and may be used as an immunohistochemical marker of urothelial malignancy.

  • CARCINOMA
  • Urologic Diseases
  • IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY

https://doi.org/10.1136/jcp-2024-209388

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    Footnotes

    • Handling editor Murali Varma.

    • Contributors All authors contributed to the drafting of the manuscript. IJ: guarantor.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.