[Experimental study of anti-metastasis effect of urokinase amino-terminal fragment gene on human breast cancer cells].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the suppressive effects of urokinase amino-terminal fragment (ATF) gene on metastatic potential of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.


METHODS
A pcDNA3-ATF plasmid containing ATF cDNA under CMV promotor/enhancer control was constructed and transfected into MCF-7 cells by lipofectin. The expression of of uPA/uPAR and ATF in MCF-7 cells were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot. The effect of ATF expression on invasiveness in vitro, tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo of MCF-7 cell was investigated.


RESULTS
MCF-7 cells displayed an overexpression of uPA/uPAR. Expression of ATF was detected after ATF gene-transfection. The invasive capacity of ATF gene-transfected MCF-7 cells was decreased significantly. Although the tumorigenesis was not affected, the in vivo metastasis of ATF gene-transfected MCF-7 cells was remarkably inhibited.


CONCLUSIONS
Suppression of invasiveness and metastasis of ATF-transfected MCF-7 cells is perhaps due to a competitive inhibition of interaction with endogenous uPA/uPAR.
Zhu
F
F
Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China.
Xing
G
G
He
F
F
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D018076:DNA, Complementary; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C524899:Plaur protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator