Human lung cancer cell line producing hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor.
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/scatter factor (SF) is a cytokine which is produced by mesenchymal cells and stimulates the motility of some epithelial cells, including cancer cells and vascular endothelial cells. Two human lung cancer cell lines, PC-1 and PC-13, were found to produce a protein which was indistinguishable from HGF/SF with regard to biological activities and immunological characteristics, although they were derived from epithelial cells. In general, highly aggressive cancer cells often show some mesenchymal characteristics, and production of HGF/SF by cancer cells is also considered as a phenomenon of acquisition of mesenchymal phenotype, which may be involved in cancer invasion and progression. These cell lines showed no apparent response to exogenous HGF/SF. In addition, no c-met proto-oncogene product was detectable in these cells by Western blot analysis. Although the function of HGF/SF produced by cancer cells, either autocrine or paracrine stimulation, remains to be studied, this is the first report to describe cancer cells producing HGF/SF.
Yoshinaga
Y
Y
Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo.
Fujita
S
S
Gotoh
M
M
Nakamura
T
T
Kikuchi
M
M
Hirohashi
S
S
D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met