Persistent alpha 1 integrin subunit expression in human neuroblastoma cell lines which overexpress N-myc and downregulate other integrin subunits

Neuroblastoma is characterized by amplification and overexpression of N-myc. N-myc down-regulates expression of the beta 1 integrin extracellular matrix receptor, however, some beta 1 was found on the surface of N-myc overexpressing neuroblastoma cell lines. It was determined that the alpha 1 subunit is expressed in the cells, associates with beta 1 and is present on the cell surface. Interestingly, the level of alpha 1 was reduced marginally when compared to beta 1. Finally, overexpression of N-myc alters cell morphology on extracellular matrix proteins with persistence of alpha 1 beta 1-dependent responses. Our work supports the conclusion that altered integrin expression may be an important factor in human neuroblastoma.     

Alpha6beta1 integrin induces proteasome-mediated cleavage of erbB2 in breast cancer cells

ErbB2 and alpha6 integrin have been implicated in malignancy of breast cancer cells. Here we have determined the influence of alpha6beta1 integrin on erbB2 signaling in anchorage-independent growth, using MDA-MB435 breast cancer cells. Firstly, we transfected the cells with erbB2 cDNA, and isolated cells with high or low levels of alpha6beta1 integrin by cell sorting (alpha6H-ErbB and alpha6L-ErbB). We found that an erbB ligand, heregulin beta1, enhanced growth activity of alpha6L-ErbB cells, but not alpha6H-ErbB cells. Secondly, we established cells expressing a beta4 integrin deletion mutant (beta4-deltacyt), which selectively inhibited alpha6beta1 integrin expression and adhesion to laminin-1. Again, heregulin beta1 enhanced the growth of erbB2 cDNA-transfected beta4-deltacyt cells, but not mock cells. Western blot analysis revealed that heregulin beta1 stimulated phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream molecules, GSK3beta and p70S6kinase, and that the extent of phosphorylation was greater in ErbB2/beta4-deltacyt cells than ErbB2/mock cells. Furthermore, we found that the erbB2 cytoplasmic domain was truncated in ErbB2/mock cells, which was independent of ligand stimulation and adhesion, and was suppressed by proteasome inhibitors. These results suggest that alpha6beta1 integrin inhibits erbB2 signals by inducing proteasome-dependent proteolytic cleavage of the erbB2 cytoplasmic domain, and may thereby contribute to the regulation of tumor growth.     

RGS5在乳腺癌组织和细胞系中的表达和定位

目的:探讨G蛋白信号转导调节蛋白5（RGS5）在人乳腺癌细胞系中的表达。方法:提取人正常乳腺上皮细胞HBL100,人乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7,ZR-75-1,ZR-75-30,MDA-MB-231,HCC1937的总蛋白和总RNA,提取细胞的总蛋白和总RNA进行蛋白免疫印迹和实时定量PCR检测RGS5的表达。共聚焦激光扫描显微镜观察RGS5胞内定位;免疫组化检测RGS5在乳腺肿瘤组织中表达情况。结果:MDA-MB-231细胞系中RGS5基因表达上调,MCF7和ZR-75-1细胞系中RGS5蛋白表达提高。结论:RGS5在乳腺癌细胞的高表达可能参与其生长和转移,揭示RGS5可能是人乳腺肿瘤的治疗靶点。     

多药耐药相关蛋白1在三种乳腺癌细胞系中表达差异的研究

 目的　比较多药耐药相关蛋白1（MRP1）在人类乳腺癌敏感细胞（MCF-7／S）和耐药细胞（MCF-7／TAM、MCF-7／ADR）中的表达差异。初步探索乳腺癌细胞对三苯氧胺（TAM）和多柔比星（ADR）的耐药性的发生机制。方法　分别采用实时荧光定量PCR、Western blot技术检测MRP1基因和MRP1蛋白在3种乳腺癌细胞中的表达差异。结果　MRP1 mRNA在MCF-7／TAM和MCF-7／ADR细胞中表达量分别是MCF-7／S细胞的（2.63±0.18）倍和（8.38±0.76）倍,差异均有统计学意义（P＝0.004,P＝0.003）。MRP1蛋白在MCF-7／TAM细胞和MCF-7／ADR细胞中表达均高于MCF-7／S细胞,与MRP1 mRNA的趋势相一致。结论　MRP1的高表达可能是乳腺癌细胞对TAM和ADR产生耐药的共同发生机制。     

Insulin receptor expression and function in human breast cancer cell lines.

We have previously reported that insulin receptor expression is increased in human breast cancer specimens (V. Papa et al., J. Clin. Invest., 85:1503-1510, 1990). In the present study, in order to further understand the role of the insulin receptor in breast cancer, insulin receptor expression and function were characterized in three human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, ZR-75-1, and T-47D, and compared to a nonmalignant human breast epithelial cell line, 184B5. Insulin receptor content, measured by radioimmunoassay, was elevated 5- and 3-fold in MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 breast cancer cell lines, respectively, when compared to the nonmalignant cell line 184B5. In contrast, the insulin receptor content of T-47D cells was not increased. The increase in insulin receptor content in MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 cells was not due to amplification of the insulin receptor gene. Also, total insulin receptor mRNA content was not increased in breast cancer cells in respect to nonmalignantly transformed 184B5 breast epithelial cells. However, significant differences in the content of receptor mRNA species were observed. The insulin receptors in the breast cancer cell lines were functional: (a) In all 4 cell lines, high-affinity insulin-binding sites were detected, and, in concert with the insulin receptor radioimmunoassay data, binding capacity was highest in MCF-7 and then in ZR-75-1 cells. (b) In all cell lines, insulin stimulated insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity. However, the effect of insulin was greater in breast cancer cell lines than in nonmalignant breast cells. (c) In all cell lines, insulin at concentrations of 1 nM or less stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation. This effect of insulin was inhibited by 50% in MCF-7 cells and by 60% in 184B5 cells when alpha-IR3, a monoclonal antibody to the insulin-like growth factor I receptor, was present. In these cells, therefore, insulin was active via both its own receptor and the IGF-I receptor. In contrast, alpha-IR3 antibody was without effect in T-47D and ZR-75-1 cells, suggesting that in these cell lines insulin acted only via its receptor. In the breast cancer cells, MA-5, an agonist monoclonal antibody to the insulin receptor, stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation. This present study indicates therefore that in breast cancer cell lines there are functional insulin receptors that regulate breast cancer cell growth.     

GalNAc glycoprotein expression by breast cell lines, primary breast cancer and normal breast epithelial membrane

Over-expression of N-acetylgalactosamine glycoproteins as detected by binding of the lectin from Helix pomatia (HPA), is associated with metastatic competence and poor patient prognosis in a range of human adenocarcinomas. These glycoproteins remain poorly characterised, and their functional role has yet to be elucidated. This study describes characterisation of a range of human breast/breast cancer cell lines for the expression of the N-acetylgalactosaminylated glycoproteins of interest, and their comparison with normal breast epithelium and a range of clinical breast carcinoma samples. Confocal and light microscopy studies revealed cytochemical HPA-binding patterns consistent with a fundamental disruption in normal glycobiosynthetic pathways attending increasing metastatic potential. We report the most complete comparative analysis of HPA-binding ligands from cultured breast cells, clinical breast carcinoma samples and normal breast epithelium to date. Lectin blotting identified 11 major HPA-binding glycoprotein bands common to both clinical tumour samples and breast cell lines and 6 of these bands were also expressed by samples of normal breast epithelium, albeit at much lower levels. Moreover, very marked quantitative but not qualitative differences in levels of expression consistent with metastatic capability were noted.     

人乳腺癌和胰腺癌组织及其细胞株Survivin表达定位差异的研究

目的:检测Survivin基因在乳腺癌和胰腺癌组织及其细胞株中的表达,观察其表达定位。方法:采用免疫细胞化学和免疫组织化学技术,分别检测乳腺癌MCF-7细胞、胰腺癌PC-2细胞以及180例乳腺癌组织、30例胰腺癌组织中Survivin的表达,观察其表达定位情况。结果:免疫细胞化学的检测结果表明,Survivin在乳腺癌MCF-7细胞和胰腺癌PC-2细胞中均呈阳性表达,其表达定位于胞质;而免疫组化的检测结果表明,Survivin在乳腺癌组织中的表达定位于胞核,其阳性表达率为66.1%(119/180)。在胰腺癌组织中,Sur-vivin的表达定位主要位于胞核,同时胞质有弱表达,其阳性表达率为73.3%(22/30)。结论:Survivin在肿瘤细胞中可以是胞核表达或胞质表达,也可以是胞核与胞质共表达,不同的表达定位可能代表着Survivin的不同功能。     

Differential expression of integrin subunits in DU-145/AR prostate cancer cells

We have established a clonal DU-145 prostate cancer cell line (DU-145/AR) stably transfected with androgen receptor cDNA. We investigated the expression of integrin subunits, adhesion to extracellular matrices, the invasion of DU-145/AR prostate cancer cells. The expression of various integrin subunits and adhesion to various extracellular matrices in DU-145, DU-145/Neo and DU-145/AR cells were examined. The haptoinvasion and the haptotactic migration of these cells were investigated using a Transwell cell culture chamber assay. DU-145/AR cells exhibited lower expression of alpha6 and beta4 integrin subunits and higher expression of alpha2 and alpha5 than DU-145 cells. DU-145/AR cells showed significantly lower adhesion to fibronectin, laminin-1 and laminin-5 than DU-145/ Neo cells, whereas DU-145/AR cells showed higher adhesion to type I and type IV collagen. Haptoinvasion of DU-145/AR cells into Matrigel/fibronectin-coated filter was significantly reduced as compared with DU-145/Neo or DU-145 cells, but there was no significant difference between DU-145/AR and control cells in the haptotactic migration to fibronectin. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibited the invasive ability of DU-145/AR cells. These results indicate that androgen receptor may play a role in the regulation of adhesion to the extracellular matrices and invasion of prostate cancer cells through influencing the expression of specific integrin subunits.     

Aberrant BLID expression is associated with breast cancer progression

In our previous study, we have found that BH3-like motif containing, cell death inducer (BLID) was a tumor suppressor in breast cancer, and its downregulation was correlated with both poor disease-free and overall survival. In the present study, we aimed to explore the possible role of BLID in breast cancer progression. We found that BLID was strongly expressed in all normal breast tissues, and it became lower and wreaker gradually in the progression from normal, UDH (usual ductal hyperplasia), ADH (atypical ductal hyperplasia), and DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) to breast cancer. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant different BLID expressions between proliferative and cancerous breast lesions. Our data suggested that loss of BLID may contribute to the progression of intraductal proliferation lesions to breast cancer. Our finding gives a new clue that BLID might be a potential indicator for progression of breast cancer in the future.     

Human UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases: Effects of altered expression in breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines

Increased aerobic glycolysis and de novo lipid biosynthesis are common characteristics of invasive cancers. UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are phase II drug metabolizing enzymes that in normal cells possess the ability to glucuronidate these lipids and speed their excretion; however, de-regulation of these enzymes in cancer cells can lead to an accumulation of bioactive lipids, which further fuels cancer progression. We hypothesize that UGT2B isoform expression is down-regulated in cancer cells and that exogenous re-introduction of these enzymes will reduce lipid content, change the cellular phenotype, and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. In this study, steady-state mRNA levels of UGT isoforms from the 2B family were measured using qPCR in 4 breast cancer and 5 pancreatic cancer cell lines. Expression plasmids for UGT2B isoforms known to glucuronidate cellular lipids, UGT2B4, 2B7, and 2B15 were transfected into MCF-7 and Panc-1 cells, and the cytotoxic effects of these enzymes were analyzed using trypan blue exclusion, annexin V/PI staining, TUNEL assays, and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry. There was a significant decrease in cell proliferation and a significant increase in the number of dead cells after transfection with each of the 3 UGT isoforms in both cell lines. Cellular lipids were also found to be significantly decreased after transfection. The results presented here support our hypothesis and emphasize the important role UGTs can play in cellular proliferation and lipid homeostasis. Evaluating the effect of UGT expression on the lipid levels in cancer cell lines can be relevant to understanding the complex regulation of cancer cells, identifying the roles of UGTs as “lipid-controllers” in cellular homeostasis, and illustrating their suitability as targets for future clinical therapy development.     

Coordinated steroid hormone-dependent and independent expression of multiple kallikreins in breast cancer cell lines

The regulation of gene expression by steroid hormones plays an important role in the normal development and function of many organs, as well in the pathogenesis of endocrine-related cancers. Previous experiments have shown that many kallikrein genes are under steroid hormone regulation in breast cancer cell lines. We here examine the coordinated expression of multiple kallikrein genes in several breast cancer cell lines after steroid hormone stimulation. Breast cancer cell lines were treated with various steroid hormones and kallikrein (KLK/hK) expression of hK3 (prostate-specific antigen, PSA), hK5, hK6, hK7, hK8, hK10, hK11, hK13, and hK14 was analyzed at the RNA level via RT-PCR and at the protein level by immunofluorometric ELISA assays. We identified several distinct hK hormone-dependent and hormone-independent expression patterns. Hormone-specific modulation of expression was seen for several kallikreins in BT-474, MCF-7, and T-47D cell lines. hK6 was specifically up-regulated upon estradiol treatment in all three cell lines whereas PSA expression was induced by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and norgestrel stimulation in BT-474 and T-47D. hK10, hK11, hK13, and hK14 were specifically up-regulated by DHT in T-47D and by estradiol in BT-474 cells. Bioinformatic analysis of upstream proximal promoter sequences for these hKs did not identify any recognizable hormone-response elements (HREs), suggesting that the coordinated activation of these four hKs represents a unique expression “cassette”, utilizing a common hormone-dependent mechanism. We conclude that groups of human hKs are coordinately expressed in a steroid hormone-dependent manner. Our data supports clinical observations linking expression of multiple hKs with breast cancer prognosis.     

Caspase expression profile and functional activity in a panel of breast cancer cell lines

Caspases play an essential role in the initiation/regulation of apoptosis. Aberrant apoptotic regulation has been associated with carcinogenesis and therapeutic resistance. To explore the possible involvement of altered caspase expression in breast cancer, we have systematically examined the expression of both protein and mRNA levels of 7 caspases in a panel of 18 breast cancer cell lines. We found that variation of caspase expression can occur at both protein and RNA levels. Down-regulation of these caspases, especially caspase-8 and -10, was frequently observed. Functional screening of these selected cell lines using TNF-alpha, doxorubicin and radiation induced cell injury showed that a lack of functional caspase-8 resulted in resistance to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. Array style examination of caspase expression profiles in breast cancer cell lines yields massive information that is valuable in establishing cell line models to study the role of caspase down-regulation/deficiency in breast cancer development and therapeutic resistance.     

黑色素瘤抗原基因A1在乳腺癌组织和四株乳腺癌细胞株中的表达

目的研究乳腺癌组织和细胞株中Mage A1基因的表达情况，为Mage A1基因编码蛋白用于乳腺癌免疫治疗提供依据。方法采用RT—PCR检删33例乳腺癌组织和4株常用乳腺癌细胞株MCF-7、Sk-Br-3，MDA-MB-435s和TM40D中Mage A1基因的表达。结果33例乳腺癌组织中12％(4／33)Mage—A1阳性，细胞株MCF-7和Sk-Br-3中Mage-A1阳性表达，MDA-MB-435s和TM40D中Mage A1基因的表达阴性。结论不同的乳腺癌细胞表达Mage A1基因有差别，Mage A1蛋白可望成为乳腺癌免疫治疗的靶抗原。