Changes in c-src activity in a human colon cancer cell line during differentiation

Sodium butyrate is a potent agent inducing transient differentiation of colorectal carcinoma cell line HT29. Besides an increase in the level of alkaline phosphatase and morphological changes, this differentiation is followed by a great reduction of kinase activity of the c-src gene product (pp60(c-src)), combined with a sharp decrease in binding of pp60(c-src) to GST-src SH2+SH3 fusion proteins. This finding suggests that the cause of the reduction of pp60(c-src) kinase activity could be an inactive conformation of the pp60(c-src) molecule in sodium butyrate-treated HT29 cells.