title: Staurosporine and extracellular matrix proteins mediate the conversion of small cell lung carcinoma cells into a neuron-like phenotype.
abstract: Small cell lung carcinomas (SCLCs) represent highly aggressive tumors with an overall five-year survival rate in the range of 5 to 10%. Here, we show that four out of five SCLC cell lines reversibly develop a neuron-like phenotype on extracellular matrix constituents such as fibronectin, laminin or thrombospondin upon staurosporine treatment in an RGD/integrin-mediated manner. Neurite-like processes extend rapidly with an average speed of 10 µm per hour. Depending on the cell line, staurosporine treatment affects either cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase or induction of polyploidy. Neuron-like conversion, although not accompanied by alterations in the expression pattern of a panel of neuroendocrine genes, leads to changes in protein expression as determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. It is likely that SCLC cells already harbour the complete molecular repertoire to convert into a neuron-like phenotype. More extensive studies are needed to evaluate whether the conversion potential of SCLC cells is suitable for therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Neuro- and Tumor Cell Biology Group, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrillo-García
authors.affiliation: Neuro- and Tumor Cell Biology Group, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veit
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Courts
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glassmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Janzen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madea
authors.affiliation: Oral Cell Biology Group, Department of Periodontology, Operative and Preventive Dentistry, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reinartz
authors.affiliation: Proteomics Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harzen
authors.affiliation: Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perner
authors.affiliation: Oral Cell Biology Group, Department of Periodontology, Operative and Preventive Dentistry, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Neuro- and Tumor Cell Biology Group, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Probstmeier
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D019311:Staurosporine