Fibrillary co-deposition of laminin-5 and large unspliced tenascin-C in the invasive front of oral squamous cell carcinoma in vivo and in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
Invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is associated with laminin-5 (Ln-5) synthesis, focal Ln-5 loss from the basement membrane (BM), and Ln-5 depositions in the stroma beneath invading carcinoma cell complexes.


METHODS
The study is focused on the laminin-5 matrix reorganisation within the stroma of the OSCC invasive front outside the basement membrane region as well as in OSCC-fibroblast co-culture in relation to unspliced tenascin-C (Tn-CL) and ED-B+ fibronectin (ED-B+ fn) using confocal laser scanning microscopy.


RESULTS
In vivo, Ln-5 was demonstrated as fibrillary deposition in the invasive front. It was co-localised to Tn-CL. In pure OSCC cultures, Ln-5 was synthesised and deposited as a spot-like matrix. Fibrillary structures were not found. In contrast, in the OSCC-fibroblast co-culture, a fibrillary Ln-5 matrix organisation was revealed within the interface of OSCC cell-fibroblast complexes exclusively in co-distribution with Tn-CL and ED-B+ fn.


CONCLUSIONS
At least in vitro, a carcinoma cell-stroma fibroblast interaction is indispensable for fibrillary Ln-5/Tn-CL matrix organisation. Behind the parallels to the initial basement membrane formation in organotypic cultures, the fibrillary multiprotein complexes at the OSCC cell-fibroblast interface are suggested as provisional basement membrane fragments with a possible supportive role for invasive tumour behaviour.
Berndt
A
A
Institute of Pathology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07740 Jena, Germany.
Borsi
L
L
Hyckel
P
P
Kosmehl
H
H
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019063:Tenascin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000097794:Kalinin
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019063:Tenascin; D000097794:Kalinin