Expression of N-CAM by human renal cell carcinomas correlates with growth rate and adhesive properties

In the present study we provide evidence for the involvement of N-CAM in the spreading of human renal cell carcinomas (RCC) through the interaction with the subendothelial matrix. We found that in tumor cell lines derived from human RCC the increase of growth rate and the loss of adhesiveness to inert substrate were accompanied by N-CAM expression and by the appearance of specific binding to endothelial heparan sulfate. Indeed, the adhesion of tumor cells to human endothelial cells and heparan sulfate in vitro was inhibited by monoclonal antibodies able to bind and inactivate N-CAM and was abrogated by endothelial cell treatment with heparitinase. Furthermore, when the renal epithelial cell line COS7 was transfected with a cDNA coding for N-CAM a significant increase in the ability to bind both endothelium and heparan sulfate in vitro was observed. Of note, HS complexed with epithelial growth factor could enhance the proliferation of RCC-derived tumor cells; this effect was also achieved by cross-linking of N-CAM at the surface of tumor cells, suggesting that N-CAM could transduce an activation signal across the cell membrane. This was also supported by the finding that N-CAM cross-linking induced a strong calcium mobilization from internal stores and opening of surface calcium channels in such tumor cells. N-CAM was detectable in vivo at the tumor site in the areas of active proliferation, as judged by the coexpression of Ki67 nuclear antigen, and heparan sulfate was present in the wall of blood vessels in the proximity of the tumor. These findings would suggest that growing kidney tumors might use N-CAM to bind the subendothelial matrix and complexed growth factors during tissue invasion and spreading.