title: Changes in cadherin-catenin complexes in the progression of human bladder carcinoma.
abstract: We are investigating the hypothesis that cancer progression involves the formation of abnormal cadherin-catenin complexes. The detailed analysis of cadherins and catenins expressed in a panel of 17 human bladder-cancer cell lines revealed that E-cadherin was down-regulated at the mRNA level in 5 cell lines. Interestingly, plakoglobin was also down-regulated at the mRNA level in these 5 cell lines only. Furthermore, a slower migrating form of pp120 was detected in these cell lines and in 2 cell lines with heterogeneous E-cadherin expression. Cloning of the cadherins expressed in the bladder lines revealed that P-cadherin is expressed in the lines expressing E-cadherin and down-regulated at the mRNA level in lines devoid of E-cadherin. N-cadherin was expressed in the 5 lines with reduced E-cadherin expression, in the 2 lines with heterogeneous E-cadherin expression and in 2 other cell lines. Thus, we showed that catenin changes occur in correlation with lack of E-cadherin expression and that N-cadherin becomes predominantly expressed in cells that have lost E-cadherin expression. Our data suggest that co-regulation of the expression of genes encoding different members of the classical cadherins occurs during tumor progression and that expression of some catenins is also coordinated with cadherin expression.
authors.affiliation: Urological Research Laboratory, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Giroldi
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Bringuier
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimazui
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schalken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051180:Desmoplakins; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin
chemical_list: C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D015820:Cadherins; C495272:Ctnna1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051180:Desmoplakins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin