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Conversion of cadherin isoforms in cultured human gastric carcinoma cells
Bing-Jing Wang1, Zhi-Qian Zhang, Yang Ke
1Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Peking University, Beijing 100036, China.
Aim:
To explore the expression of cadherin isoforms in cultured human gastric carcinoma cells and its regulation.
Methods:
The expressions of cell adhesion molecules (including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin) and cadherin transcription factors including snail, slug and twist were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR), immunoblotting and immunofluorescence in SV40-immortalized human gastric cell line Ges-1 and human gastric cancer cell lines MGC-803, BGC-823 and SGC-7901.
Results:
All cell lines expressed N-cadherin, but not E-cadherin. N-cadherin immunofluorescence was detected at cell membranous adherents junctions where co-localization with immunofluorescent staining of inner surface adhesion proteins alpha- and beta-catenins was observed. The transformed Ges-1 and gastric cancer cell lines all expressed transcription factors (snail, slug and twist) which inhibited the expression of E-cadherin and triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transformation.
Conclusion:
Cadherin isoforms can change from E-cadherin to N-cadherin in transformed human gastric cancer cells, which is associated with intracellular events of stomach carcinogenesis and high expression of corresponding transcription factors.
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