title: Episialin (MUC1) inhibits cytotoxic lymphocyte-target cell interaction.
abstract: Episialin (MUC1) is a mucin-like glycoprotein abundantly expressed on most carcinoma cells. As a result of its extended and rigid structure, it reduces intercellular adhesion. We investigated whether this antiadhesion function allows tumor cells expressing high levels of episialin to escape from immune recognition. To test this hypothesis, we transfected episialin-negative (episialin-) melanoma cells (A375) with the MUC1 cDNA-encoding episialin. The results demonstrated that episialin-positive (episialin+) melanoma cells were significantly less susceptible to lysis than episialin- melanoma cells by both alloantigen or rIL-2-stimulated cytotoxic effector cells. In addition, cold target inhibition experiments with episialin+ and episialin- cells clearly demonstrated preferential lysis of episialin- cells. Furthermore, antibody blocking studies showed that lysis of episialin+, but not of episialin-, melanoma cells was predominantly dependent on the leukocyte function-associated Ag-1/intracellular adhesion molecule adhesion route, suggesting that episialin+ target cells adhere less efficiently to effector cells than episialin- target cells. This notion was supported by the observation that conjugate formation of the effector cells with episialin+ target cells was significantly impaired. From these results we conclude that over-expression of episialin as found on many tumor cells may indeed affect efficient lysis by cytotoxic lymphocytes and thus may contribute to escape from immune surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van de Wiel-van Kemenade
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ligtenberg
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buijs
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Melief
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hilkens
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Figdor
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000502:physiology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000502:physiology*; D018968:CD58 Antigens; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D018396:Mucin-1; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D018968:CD58 Antigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018396:Mucin-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1