title: Regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor expression during keratinocyte differentiation.
abstract: Transformed keratinocytes (i.e., SCC-4, SCC-15, SCC-12F2, SVK14) or normal keratinocytes which differ in their differentiation program, were used to study the regulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor expression. The capacity of the cells to differentiate was modulated by changing the extracellular calcium concentration. We now demonstrate that LDL-receptor expression in normal and transformed keratinocytes depends on the cell type and one or more levels of regulatory control. Cells express elevated mRNA levels when cultured under low Ca++ (proliferating) conditions. In contrast, SV40-transformed keratinocytes express decreased message under similar condition. In addition, LDL-receptor protein is decreased in transformed cells when extracellular Ca++ is increased (1.6 mM) to stimulate differentiation; the decrease in protein is comparable to the decrease in mRNA expression. Under the same conditions, normal keratinocytes show markedly decreased LDL-receptor protein relative to the decrease in mRNA. Incubation with LDL-cholesterol decreases the number of cell surface-exposed LDL-receptors. The LDL-receptor in fibroblasts is regulated differently from SCC-4 cells. The addition of LDL-cholesterol to fibroblasts causes decreased LDL-receptor mRNA and protein expression whereas SCC-4 cells show the opposite effect. The addition of cholesterol in non-lipoprotein form causes decreased LDL-receptor mRNA and protein expression in both cell types. These results suggest another, yet unidentified, regulatory mechanism that affects LDL-receptor expression in these two cell types.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: te Pas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Havekes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boonstra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ponec
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol