title: The N-cadherin/catenin complex in colon fibroblasts and myofibroblasts.
abstract: Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts were isolated respectively from normal colon mucosa and from colon cancers. Immunostaining with an antibody against alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) of the tissues of origin and of early passage cultures showed equal proportions of alpha-SMA positive myofibroblasts in vivo as in vitro. Immunocytochemistry, immunoprecipitation of metabolically labelled cells followed by Western blotting and RT-PCR of RNA isolates demonstrated the presence of a N-cadherin/catenin complex in both fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. This complex was found preferentially at the cell cell boundaries. Immunocytochemistry and, to a lesser extent, co-immunoprecipitation indicated partial colocalisation of catenins and alpha-SMA. Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) greatly enhanced the expression of alpha-SMA, but left the N-cadherin/catenin complex unaltered. We speculate that the N-cadherin/catenin complex may have different functions in myofibroblasts than in fibroblasts because of its interaction with alpha-SMA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Hoorde
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Braet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mareel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003106:Colon / Q000166:cytology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011817:Rabbits; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin