Very low-density lipoprotein receptor in fetal intestine and gastric adenocarcinoma cells

A very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) was recently identified. This receptor reportedly binds specifically to very low-density lipoproteins; however, its distribution and functions in vivo have yet to be elucidated. We investigated the expression and regulation of VLDLR in fetal and carcinoma cells.

The expression of VLDLR was examined by immunohistochemistry and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction using several specimens, including a fetus of 12 to 15 weeks' gestation, various tumors, AGS cells, and INT407 cells.

Immunoreactive VLDLR was abundantly present in human fetal intestinal epithelial and gastric adenocarcinoma cells. This receptor was also noted in the intestinal cell line, INT407, and gastric cancer cell line, AGS. In addition, the VLDLR that was expressed in INT407 cells, AGS cells, and gastric adenocarcinoma tissue was present mainly in a variant form lacking the O-linked sugar domain.

These data suggest that an important function of VLDLR may be the mediation of cell growth in developing tissues, such as fetal intestinal and cancer cells. The INT407 and AGS cell lines appear to be useful for examining the regulation of VLDLR expression.