N-cadherin expressed on malignant T cell lymphoma cells is functional, and promotes heterotypic adhesion between the lymphoma cells and mesenchymal cells expressing N-cadherin.
Cadherins are Ca2+-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecules, and are involved in the formation and maintenance of the organocellular architecture. Using a combination of molecular biologic and biochemical methods, we analyzed cadherins expressed on cultured human malignant lymphoma cell lines (adult T cell lymphomas, human T cell leukemia virus type 1-negative T cell lines, and thymus-derived lymphoma cell lines), and obtained evidence that N-cadherin is the major cadherin expressed on these cells. These cells were found to form cell aggregates in a Ca2+-dependent manner, and more importantly to coaggregate and adhere with cells expressing N-cadherin, suggesting that N-cadherin on lymphoma cells is functionally active. Therefore, N-cadherin expressed on lymphoma cells could underlie the frequent invasion of these cells into the mesenchymal tissue in the skin and the central nervous system.
Kawamura-Kodama
K
K
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Tsutsui
J
J
Suzuki
S T
ST
Kanzaki
T
T
Ozawa
M
M
D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015820:Cadherins