title: Absence of down-regulation of insulin receptors in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) cultured in serum-free medium: comparison with epidermal growth factor.
abstract: MCF-7 cells were cultured either in RPMI-1640 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) or in a serum-free (SF) medium supplemented with insulin, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transferrin. Binding studies were performed with 125I-insulin or 125I-EGF. In the FCS containing culture, down-regulation was seen for insulin receptors (47%), and for the EGF receptors (75%). Using cells grown in the serum-free medium we could not demonstrate down-regulation of the insulin receptors, while the EGF receptors were down-regulated to the same extent (74%). The number of binding sites per cell was about twice as much in cells cultured in FCS as that in SF medium. No significant differences were observed for receptor affinity of insulin or EGF in cells grown in both media. The rate of internalization of insulin or EGF into cells was similar in both culture conditions. The mechanism in which only EGF but not insulin demonstrated receptor down-regulation in SF medium remains unknown.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papoian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barseghian
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Josefsberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lev-Ran
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004705:Endocytosis; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007328:Insulin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011972:Receptor, Insulin