Induction of invasion in vivo of alpha-catenin-positive HCT-8 human colon-cancer cells.
Variants from the HCT-8 colon-cancer cell line were implanted s.c. and orthotopically into nude mice. Well-differentiated HCT-8/E11 and HCT-8/E41 cells have a functional E-cadherin-catenin complex and are non-invasive into pre-cultured chick heart fragments in vitro, whereas poorly differentiated HCT-8/E11R1 cells are deficient in alpha-catenin protein and invasive in heart fragments. We investigated whether these differences were maintained in vivo. In contrast with in vitro observations, in vivo the 3 HCT-8 variants behaved very similarly and all formed undifferentiated tumors. The in vivo invasive behavior of HCT-8 cells was site-dependently modulated: HCT-8 cells invaded when injected into the cecum but not when injected s.c. Metastases to the liver or lungs were not observed. The composition and expression of the E-cadherin-catenin complex in nude mouse HCT-8 tumors was the same as in HCT-8 cells in culture on solid substrate. We conclude that the in vivo invasive behavior of HCT-8 cells is not determined by whether alpha-catenin is expressed or not but by as yet unidentified host factors.
Van Hoorde
L
L
Laboratory of Experimental Cancerology, Department of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.
Pocard
M
M
Maryns
I
I
Poupon
M F
MF
Mareel
M
M
D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin
C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D015820:Cadherins; C495272:Ctnna1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin