The loss of functional von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene is associated with the development of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (CC-RCC). Recently, VHL was shown to promote the transcription of E-cadherin, an adhesion molecule whose expression is inversely correlated with the aggressive phenotype of numerous epithelial cancers. Here, we performed immunohistochemistry on CC-RCC tissue microarrays to determine the prognostic value of E-cadherin and VHL with respect to Fuhrman grade and clinical prognosis. Low Fuhrman grade and good prognosis associated with positive VHL and E-cadherin immunoreactivity, whereas poor prognosis and high-grade tumors associated with a lack of E-cadherin and lower frequency of VHL staining. A significant portion of CC-RCC with positive VHL immunostaining correlated with nuclear localization of C-terminally cleaved E-cadherin. DNA sequencing revealed in a majority of nuclear E-cadherin-positive CC-RCC, subtle point mutations, deletions and insertions in VHL. Furthermore, nuclear E-cadherin was not observed in chromophobe or papillary RCC, as well as matched normal kidney tissue. In addition, nuclear E-cadherin localization was recapitulated in CC-RCC xenografts devoid of functional VHL or reconstituted with synthetic mutant VHL grown in SCID mice. These findings provide the first evidence of aberrant nuclear localization of E-cadherin in CC-RCC harboring VHL mutations, and suggest potential prognostic value of VHL and E-cadherin in CC-RCC. [4][5][6][7] Currently, a prediction of patient survival is based on traditional clinical parameters, including tumor size and Fuhrman nuclear grade. 8 However, the emerging understanding of the molecular pathways implicated in CC-RCC genesis and progression is providing previously unappreciated markers, which may serve as additional or better prognostic indicators of CC-RCC.The principal cause of sporadic CC-RCC and familial von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-associated CC-RCC is the inactivating mutations of VHL. Although VHL patients also develop tumors in other organs including the central nervous system, retina and the adrenal gland, CC-RCC remains to be the leading cause of morbidity and death for VHL patients. 9 The most well-established function of VHL is its role in the oxygen-dependent negative regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). VHL is a substrate-conferring component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase ECV (elongins/Cul2/VHL) that polyubiquitylates the catalytic a-subunit of HIF that has undergone hydroxylation on conserved prolyl residues within the oxygen-dependent degradation (ODD) domain. Prolyl hydroxylation is mediated by a class of prolyl hydroxylases (PHD1-3) in an oxygen-dependent manner. Thus, under hypoxia or in the absence of a functional VHL, HIFa becomes stabilized and binds to its common and constitutively expressed b-subunit, forming an active HIF transcription factor capable of transactivating numerous hypoxia-inducible genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),