title: MYCN downregulates integrin alpha1 to promote invasion of human neuroblastoma cells.
abstract: Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumor thought to arise through improper differentiation of neural crest cells. MYCN amplification is a prognostic factor that indicates a highly malignant disease and poor patient prognosis. Integrins are important regulators of neuroblastoma attachment and migration and participate in many aspects of metastasis. However, the role of integrins in neuroblastoma metastasis, the leading cause of death from this disease, remains less well understood. Screening of neuroblastoma cell lines for integrin mRNA expression showed that integrin alpha1 expression was higher in lines such as SK-N-SH and NB69 that do not have MYCN amplification than in cell lines such as IMR32, NB1, NB9 and NB19 that have MYCN amplification. A knockdown of MYCN in NB1 and NB19 cells resulted in increased expression of integrin alpha1, which correlated with enhanced attachment to the extracellular matrix and reduced migratory activity. In contrast, the overexpression of MYCN in SK-N-SH and NB69 cells resulted in decreased expression of integrin alpha1, which correlated with reduced attachment to the extracellular matrix and enhanced migratory activity. These results show that MYCN may limit cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix and promote cell migration by downregulating integrin alpha1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuzawa
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D039423:Integrin alpha1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D039423:Integrin alpha1; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering