title: Caco-2 intestinal cell differentiation is associated with G1 arrest and suppression of CDK2 and CDK4.
abstract: The cellular mechanisms regulating intestinal proliferation and differentiation remain largely undefined. Previously, we showed an early induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21(Waf1/Cip1) in Caco-2 cells, a human colon cancer line that spontaneously differentiates into a small bowel phenotype. The purpose of our present study was to assess the timing of cell cycle arrest in relation to differentiation in Caco-2 cells and to examine the mechanisms responsible for CDK inactivation. Caco-2 cells undergo a relative G1/S block and cease to proliferate at day 3 postconfluency; an increase in the activity of terminally differentiated brush-border enzymes (sucrase and alkaline phosphatase) was noted at day 6 postconfluency. Cell cycle block was associated with suppression of both CDK2 and CDK4 activities, which are important for G1/S progression. Treatment of the CDK immune complexes with the detergent deoxycholate (DOC) resulted in restoration of CDK2, but not CDK4, activity at day 3 postconfluency, suggesting the presence of inhibitory protein(s) binding to the cyclin/CDK2 complex at this time point. An increased binding of p21(Waf1/Cip1) to CDK2 complexes at day 3 postconfluency was noted, suggesting a potential role for p21(Waf1/Cip1) in CDK2 inactivation; however, immunodepletion of p21(Waf1/Cip1) from Caco-2 protein extracts demonstrated that p21(Waf1/Cip1) is only partially responsible for CDK2 suppression at day 3 postconfluency. A decrease in the cyclin E/CDK2 complex appears to contribute to the CDK2 inactivation noted at days 6 and 12 postconfluency. Taken together, our results suggest that multiple mechanisms contribute to CDK suppression during Caco-2 cell differentiation. Inhibition of CDK2 and CDK4 leads to G1 arrest and inhibition of proliferation that precede Caco-2 cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Q M
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Evers
mesh_terms: D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016213:Cyclins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D016193:G1 Phase; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016196:S Phase
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; C495894:CDK2 protein, human; C495900:CDK4 protein, human; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases