title: Epithelial polarity, villin expression, and enterocytic differentiation of cultured human colon carcinoma cells: a survey of twenty cell lines.
abstract: Twenty human colon carcinoma cell lines were studied for their ability to develop some of the characteristics of the normal intestinal epithelium, e.g., epithelial polarity, presence of the actin-binding protein villin, or the occurrence of an enterocytic differentiation either when cultured under standard conditions, as for Caco-2 cells, or when grown in a glucose-free medium, as for HT-29 cells. Except for the regular presence of villin, which can be considered a marker of the colonic origin of the cells, the cell lines of this study could be classified into four types with regard to their differentiation characteristics. In type 1 (only one cell line, i.e., Caco-2) the cells undergo spontaneously an enterocytic differentiation characterized by a polarization of the cell layer with the formation of domes and the presence of an apical brush border the membrane of which is endowed with hydrolases such as sucrase-isomaltase, lactase, amino-peptidase N, dipeptidylpeptidase IV and alkaline phosphatase. In type 2 (three cell lines: HT-29, HCT-EB, and HCT-GEO) the cells are undifferentiated when grown in the presence of glucose but undergo an enterocytic differentiation when grown in the absence of glucose. In type 3 (eight cell lines: HCT-GLY, HCT-FET, HCT-FRI, HCT-CBS, HCT-ALA, Co-115, HRT-18, and SW-1116) the cells are organized into a polarized monolayer with the formation of domes but without any enterocytic differentiation characteristics, whatever the culture conditions. In type 4 (eight cell lines: HCT-116a, HCT-R, HCT-RCA, HCT-Moser, HCT-8R, SW-480, LS-174T, and Vaco-9P) the cells are organized into a multilayer without any feature of epithelial polarity or enterocytic differentiation, whatever the culture conditions.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherches sur le Métabolisme et la Différenciation de Cellules en Culture, INSERM U178, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chantret
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbat
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dussaulx
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Brattain
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zweibaum
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D004152:Dipeptidyl-Peptidases and Tripeptidyl-Peptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005947:Glucose / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C026615:villin; D004152:Dipeptidyl-Peptidases and Tripeptidyl-Peptidases; D005947:Glucose