title: Human intestinal epithelial cell survival: differentiation state-specific control mechanisms.
abstract: To investigate whether human intestinal epithelial cell survival involves distinct control mechanisms depending on the state of differentiation, we analyzed the in vitro effects of insulin, pharmacological inhibitors of Fak, MEK/Erk, and PI3-K/Akt, and integrin (beta1, beta4)-blocking antibodies on the survival of the well-established human Caco-2 enterocyte-like and HIEC-6 cryptlike cell models. In addition, relative expression levels of six Bcl-2 homologs (Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), Mcl-1, Bax, Bak, and Bad) and activation levels of Fak, Erk-2, and Akt were analyzed. Herein, we report that 1) the enterocytic differentiation process results in the establishment of distinct profiles of Bcl-2 homolog expression levels, as well as p125(Fak), p42(Erk-2), and p57(Akt) activated levels; 2) the inhibition of Fak, of the MEK/Erk pathway, or of PI3-K, have distinct impacts on enterocytic cell survival in undifferentiated (subconfluent Caco-2, confluent HIEC-6) and differentiated (30 days postconfluent Caco-2) cells; 3) exposure to insulin and the inhibition of Fak, MEK, and PI3-K resulted in differentiation state-distinct modulations in the expression of each Bcl-2 homolog analyzed; and 4) Fak, beta1 and beta4 integrins, as well as the MEK/Erk and PI3-K/Akt pathways, are distinctively involved in cell survival depending on the state of cell differentiation. Taken together, these data indicate that human intestinal epithelial cell survival is regulated according to differentiation state-specific control mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Institutes of Health Research Group on the Functional Development and Physiopathology of the Digestive Tract, Département d'Anatomie et de Biologie Cellulaire, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada J1H 5N4.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harnois
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Drolet
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vézina
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Vachon
mesh_terms: D023102:Anoikis / Q000502:physiology*; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000502:physiology; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D006801:Humans; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019012:Integrin beta1; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C496050:PTK2 protein, human; C482576:MAP3K1 protein, human