title: Malignant transformation of thyroid follicular cells by galectin-3.
abstract: Galectin-3, a beta-galactoside binding lectin, is highly expressed in thyroid carcinomas of follicular cell origin, whereas neither benign thyroid adenomas nor normal thyroid tissues express galectin-3. We previously showed that antisense inhibition of galectin-3 expression markedly reduced the malignant phenotype of thyroid papillary carcinoma cells. In the present study we transfected galectin-3 cDNA into TAD-2 normal thyroid follicular cells. Stable transfectants expressing galectin-3 acquired the phenotype of serum-independent growth, clonogenicity in soft agar, as well as loss of contact inhibition. We also compared the gene expression profile of the galectin-3 transfectants to that of the vehicle control, which revealed that a series of genes were differentially expressed between the two. They include proliferating cell nuclear antigen, replication factor C, and retinoblastoma genes that participate in G1-S transition. These results indicate the transformation of thyroid follicular cells by galectin-3 and possible involvement of galectin-3 in cell cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Sensory Organ Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inohara
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshii
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akahani
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Honjo
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raz
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
mesh_terms: D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D003094:Collagen; D003260:Contact Inhibition; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004338:Drug Combinations; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000502:physiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010641:Phenotype; D011509:Proteoglycans; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000502:physiology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004338:Drug Combinations; D037502:Galectin 3; D007797:Laminin; D011509:Proteoglycans; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C059485:matrigel; D003094:Collagen