Epidermal growth factor enhances invasive activity of BeWo choriocarcinoma cells by inducing alpha2 integrin expression.
The trophoblast, an important component of the mammalian placenta, has several essential biological roles in the maintenance of pregnancy. First, trophoblast cells must attach to the uterine endometrium, and then they must invade to a depth at which the vascular network exists. Here, we investigated the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on alpha2 integrin expression, adhesiveness to collagen, and invasive activity using human BeWo choriocarcinoma cells. EGF induced the expression of alpha2 integrin mRNA and protein, as shown by Northern blotting, Western blotting, and flow cytometry. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion was enhanced by the addition of EGF, which suggests that the BeWo cells functionally differentiated similarly to normal trophoblasts. EGF also dose-dependently stimulated the invasiveness of BeWo cells. Antibody against alpha2 integrin inhibited this effect, suggesting that it may be mediated by an increase of cell surface integrin. EGF had no effect on the adhesiveness of BeWo cells to collagen, whereas it stimulated the chemokinetic activity in a dose-dependent manner. The increase of chemokinetic activity was suppressed by antibody against alpha2 integrin. These results suggest that EGF may induce alpha2 integrin expression in trophoblast cells, thereby enhancing their invasiveness into the endometrium via an increase of their chemokinetic activity.
Nakatsuji
Yuki
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Japan.
Nishio
Yukihiro
Y
Tani
Naoyuki
N
Adachi
Kazushige
K
Ohmichi
Masahide
M
Hisamoto
Koji
K
Morishige
Ken-Ichirou
K
Kurachi
Hirohisa
H
Tasaka
Keiichi
K
Murata
Yuji
Y
Matsuura
Nariaki
N
D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003094:Collagen; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D039421:Integrin alpha2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D039421:Integrin alpha2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D003094:Collagen