Villin is a 93 kDa calcium-regulated, actin-binding protein that plays a role in regulating actin filament assembly. It is a major constituent in the microvilli, which compose the brush border of epithelial cells forming absorptive surfaces of the intestinal and renal proximal tubular epithelia. In normal human tissue, Villin is expressed by a limited number of simple epithelia of the gastrointestinal and urogenital tract. In tumor tissue, it is always expressed in colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, endometrium cancer, as well as cancers of ovary and lung. Villin is a useful aid for classification of primary and metastatic colorectal carcinomas.
Villin is a 93 kDa calcium-regulated, actin-binding protein that plays a role in regulating actin filament assembly. It is a major constituent in the microvilli, which compose the brush border of epithelial cells forming absorptive surfaces of the intestinal and renal proximal tubular epithelia. In normal human tissue, Villin is expressed by a limited number of simple epithelia of the gastrointestinal and urogenital tract. In tumor tissue, it is always expressed in colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, endometrium cancer, as well as cancers of ovary and lung. Villin is a useful aid for classification of primary and metastatic colorectal carcinomas.