A scatter factor-like factor is produced by a metastatic variant of a rat bladder carcinoma cell line.
The rat bladder carcinoma epithelial NBT-II cell line undergoes, in vitro, a morphological transition to a fibroblast-like state in the presence of different growth factors. We have selected, in vivo, a metastatic clone, designated M-NBT-II, which has a mesenchymal phenotype and secretes into the culture medium a factor able to dissociate epithelial clusters of NBT-II or MDCK cells. This factor was designated scatter factor-like (SFL) by analogy to the HGF/SF, which has the same dissociating effect in these two cell lines. Here, we show that SFL factor and HGF/SF are different factors: (i) no HGF/SF transcripts could be detected using either specific rat HGF/SF cDNA probes or PCR; (ii) blocking antibodies against rat HGF/SF do not inhibit the SFL activity; and (iii) crude culture medium or partially purified SFL factor-containing fractions do not induce MDCK tubulogenesis, a biological assay that is specific for HGF/SF activity in vitro. We report the partial purification of the SFL factor, based on ion exchange and reverse-phase chromatography. The results indicate that the M-NBT-II metastatic variant secretes a dissociating factor sharing some common biological properties with the HGF/SF, which suggests that the SFL factor is a member of the HGF/SF family and may be involved in tumor progression.
Bellusci
S
S
Laboratoire de Physiopathologie du Développement, CNRS, URA 1337 and Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
Moens
G
G
Thiery
J P
JP
Jouanneau
J
J
D000818:Animals; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary
D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor