title: Expression of the integrin alpha 5 subunit in HT29 colon carcinoma cells suppresses apoptosis triggered by serum deprivation.
abstract: It is clear that certain integrins can regulate the growth of tumors, probably by contributing to signal transduction processes. In the present study we have used HT29 human colon carcinoma cells stably transfected with human cDNA for the integrin alpha 5 subunit and studied the effects of alpha 5 expression on the induction of apoptosis. We observe that apoptosis can be triggered in HT29 cells by removal of serum and that this process can be suppressed by the stable expression of full-length integrin alpha 5 subunits. While the mechanism underlying this effect is still unclear, these observations suggest that the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin plays an important role in modulating tumor cell responses to growth factors and nutrients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 27599, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Frisch
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Juliano
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D039482:Integrin alpha5; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D039482:Integrin alpha5