E-cadherin and metastasin (mts-1/S100A4) expression levels are inversely regulated in two tumor cell families.
Metastasin is putatively associated with cytoskeletal proteins and may influence cell motility, although its exact physiological role is not known. Because E-cadherin is an invasion suppressor molecule, and metastasin a metastasis-inducing molecule, we wondered which molecule was playing a dominant role in the balance that finally leads to noninvasiveness or invasiveness. The expression levels of E-cadherin and metastasin were monitored in two mouse tumor cell families and were found to be inversely regulated. Moreover, overexpression obtained via transfection of plasmids coding for either one of these two molecules abrogated expression of the other molecule as investigated via Northern and Western blotting experiments. Invasiveness was accordingly influenced. Expression levels of alpha- and beta-catenins were not influenced by up-regulated metastasin, but their intracellular distribution was disturbed. The present results suggest that metastasin-induced invasiveness of several malignant tumor cells is at least partially caused by down-regulation of E-cadherin.
Keirsebilck
A
A
Department of Molecular Biology, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, University of Gent, Belgium.
Bonné
S
S
Bruyneel
E
E
Vermassen
P
P
Lukanidin
E
E
Mareel
M
M
van Roy
F
F
D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D000071999:S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4; D009418:S100 Proteins; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015820:Cadherins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D000071999:S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4; D009418:S100 Proteins; C470944:S100a4 protein, mouse