title: Multiple aspects of the phenotype of mammary epithelial cells transformed by expression of activated M-Ras depend on an autocrine mechanism mediated by hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor.
abstract: Multiple aspects of the transformed phenotype induced in a murine mammary epithelial cell line scp-2 by expression of activated G22V M-Ras, including maintainance of cell number at low density, anchorage-independent growth, invasion of Matrigel, and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 9, were dependent on an autocrine mechanism. Conditioned medium from dense cultures of scp-2 cells expressing G22V M-Ras, but not from parental cells, induced activation of Erk and Akt in cells expressing G22V M-Ras, maintained the cell number and promoted anchorage-independent growth of cells expressing G22V M-Ras (although not the parental cells), and induced scattering of MDCK cells. The latter activities were blocked by neutralizing antibodies to hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) and could be mimicked by HGF/SF. Anti-HGF/SF antibodies also inhibited invasion of Matrigel, and the production of MMP-2 and MMP-9, together with urokinase-type plasminogen activator, was secreted by G22V M-Ras scp-2 cells but not by parental cells. Invasion of Matrigel was blocked by an inhibitor of MMPs, BB94, and by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 kinase inhibitor PD98059 but was only marginally affected by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. Autocrine HGF/SF was thus critical for expression of key features of the phenotype of mammary epithelial cells transformed by expression of activated M-Ras.
authors.affiliation: The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Kai-Xin
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Katherine R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Schrader
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000187:drug effects*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D003260:Contact Inhibition; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010641:Phenotype; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D018631:ras Proteins
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D001798:Blood Proteins; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; C109418:Mras protein, mouse; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D018631:ras Proteins