Expression of the alpha 2-subunit of laminin correlates with increased cell adhesion and metastatic propensity

Matrikines in the regulation of extracellular matrix degradation

The term "matrikines" was coined for designating peptides liberated by partial proteolysis of extracellular matrix macromolecules, which are able to regulate cell activities. Among these peptides, some of them may modulate proliferation, migration, protease production, or apoptosis. In this review, we summarize the activity of matrikines derived from elastin and interstitial or basement membrane collagens on the regulation of matrix metalloproteinases expression and/or activation, and on the plasminogen/plasmin system. Due to their activity, matrikines may play a significant role in physiological or pathological processes such as wound healing or tumor invasion.

Control of melanoma progression by various matrikines from basement membrane macromolecules

Many biological processes such as cell differentiation, cell migration or gene expression are tightly controlled by cell-cell interactions or by various cytokines. During tumor progression, cancer cells are in contact with extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules involving specific receptors such as integrins. The different stages of tumor progression, and mainly the proteolytic cascades implicated in extracellular matrix degradation and cell migration, may be controlled by the extracellular matrix macromolecules or by domains released by directed and limited proteolysis of these molecules. In this review, we summarise the biological effects of various peptides, named matrikines, derived from basement membranes (BM) components, such as laminins (LN), proteoglycans or collagens. These peptides may control tumor progression by regulating the proteolytic cascades leading to cancer cell dissemination and metastasis.

p53 alone or in combination with antisense cyclin D1 induces apoptosis and reduces tumor size in human melanoma

Melanoma incidence is growing at a faster rate than any other human malignancy. Wild-type (wt) p53 is important in both G(1) and G(2) cell cycle arrest, and cyclin D1 (CD1) is necessary for G(1)-->S progression in melanoma cells. We reported that an adenoviral vector containing wt p53 significantly reduced [(3)H]thymidine uptake in melanoma cells containing mutant but not wt p53. Subsequently we showed that CD1 decreased melanoma proliferation and increased apoptosis. We now extend these findings by evaluating the effect on preformed melanomas of (1) intratumoral therapy with wt p53 alone, (2) wt p53 in combination with antisense (AS) CD1, both short (< or =14 days) and longer term, and (3) doubling the dose or repeat doses of wt p53 or AS CD1. Two melanoma cells lines that metastasize in SCID mice (451 and 1205) were used, one containing a p53 mutation (451) and the other a normal p53 gene sequence (1205). Compared to injection with a control adenoviral vector containing beta-galactosidase (LacZ), intratumoral injection of wt p53 slowed the growth of tumors formed from 451 cells. Using 5 x 10(8) plaque forming units as our standard intratumoral dose, neither doubling the dose of LacZ, p53 or AS CD1, nor repeat doses of the vectors, was as effective as combined therapy with wt p53+AS CD1, which resulted in the shrinkage of all tumors treated and 4/7 (57%) tumors vanished. No tumors treated with wt p53 or AS CD1 alone vanished. Wt p53+AS CD1 treatment resulted in significantly more cells undergoing apoptosis compared to either therapy alone. In summary, combining the separately effective treatment vectors p53 and AS CD1 led to an enhanced growth-suppressive and apoptotic effect, supporting a role for combination gene therapy to treat human malignant melanoma.

Integrin alpha2beta1 recognizes laminin-2 and induces C-erb B2 tyrosine phosphorylation in metastatic human melanoma cells

Previous studies have shown that tumor cells with metastatic propensity secrete more of the laminin alpha2 chain than non-metastatic tumor cells do, and that laminin-2, which contains the alpha2 chain, promotes cell adhesion better than laminin-1 (Jenq et al. (1994). Differentiation, 58, 29-36). The current studies were designed to determine whether a correlation exists between the expression of the laminin-2 isoform and the metastatic phenotype in melanoma cells. We found that expression of the laminin-2 isoform was upregulated in the metastatic melanoma cell lines tested. Cell attachment studies showed that metastatic melanoma cells attached more efficiently to laminin-2 substrates. Studies on integrin expression revealed that the presence of alpha2beta1 integrin correlated with expression of the laminin-2 isoform in metastatic melanoma cells; anti-integrin alpha2 antibody prevented cell attachment to laminin-2 substrates. The data suggest that the alpha2beta1 integrin is the receptor mediating cell attachment to the laminin-2 isoform. This interaction, mediated by the alpha2beta1 integrin, stimulates secretion of the 72 kD type IV collagenase and induces a specific 185 kD protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The 185 kD tyrosine-phosphorylated protein was identified as the p185/C-erb B2 oncoprotein by immunoprecipitation. These studies suggest that upregulation of expression of the laminin-2 chain correlates with the metastatic phenotype of melanoma cells and provides evidence that the specific p185/C-erb B2 tyrosine phosphorylation may be involved in integrin-mediated signaling during tumor cell invasion and metastasis.

Influence of laminin substratum on cell proliferation and CALC I gene expression in medullary thyroid carcinoma C cell lines

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) originates from C cells, which secrete calcitonin (CT) and CT gene-related peptide (CGRP), the two splice peptide products of the CALC I gene. Normal and hyperplastic C cells are intrafollicular, in contact with the basement membrane (BM) that is maintained around the differentiated tumors. To investigate the relationships between MTC evolution and BM constituents, we examined the modifications induced by laminin-1 and -2 (merosin), two isoforms colocalized in the follicular BM, on three MTC cell lines: murine rMTC 6-23 and CA-77 cells, and human TT cells. Laminin exerted a mitogenic activity on rMTC 6-23 and on TT cells, causing a concurrent decrease in both CT and CGRP mRNA levels and production of the peptides. Conversely, laminin reduced the proliferation rate and enhanced CGRP synthesis and secretion in CA-77 cells. This antiproliferative response, which coincides with an increase in differentiation markers, is comparable to that reported in normal cells and also in the neoplastic Caco-2 cell line. This suggests that laminin could exert opposite effects depending on the stage of tumor evolution.

Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies of the periendothelial matrix in human melanoma: evidence for an amorphous matrix containing laminin

Angiogenesis and the extracellular matrix are fundamental to tumor progression from in situ to invasive and metastatic disease. Laminin, a major glycoprotein integrated into basement membranes, is observed in angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. A recent study described an association between melanoma cells and endothelial cells via an amorphous matrix containing laminin. In the current study, we have examined 45 cases of human primary and metastatic melanomas by electron microscopy for the presence of an amorphous matrix. We observed an amorphous matrix without a clearly delineated lamina or basement membrane in 41 of the 45 melanomas studied. 28 cases with tissue blocks available for study were examined by immunohistochemistry for the expression of laminin and type IV collagen. We observed the presence of an angiocentric matrix containing laminin in 24 of the 28 melanomas studied. Since laminin is involved in tumor migration, the presence of laminin between melanoma cells and small vessels suggests a role for this material in periendothelial tumor migration. However, further study is required to characterize the nature of this material and the mechanisms involved.

Localization of basement membrane-associated protein isoforms during development of the ocular surface of mouse eye

The developmental localization patterns of collagen type IV alpha1-5 chains, laminin-1, laminin-5, and laminin alpha2 chain were analyzed in the embryonic mouse eye using isoform specific antibodies and immunofluorescence microscopy. Laminin-1 isoform and alpha1-2(IV) were ubiquitously expressed along the ocular surface basement membranes at a very early stage of eye development. Alpha3-5(IV) were first detected at later stages of development, and exhibited a variable distribution pattern along the ocular surface basement membrane. In contrast, expression of the laminin alpha2 chain was restricted to the conjunctival basement membrane, and was first detected during the same developmental period in which keratin K4-positive, differentiated conjunctival epithelial cells were observed. Although laminin-5 was uniformly expressed along the adult ocular surface basement membrane, during embryogenesis it was first incorporated into the conjunctival basement membrane structure. These data suggest that some of the laminin isoforms, including laminin alpha2 and laminin-5, may play a role in the formation of a conjunctival-type basement membrane. The temporal relationship between the localization of these molecules to the conjunctival basement membrane and the appearance of differentiated conjunctival epithelial cells suggests a role for external influence on the differentiation pathways of ocular surface epithelium.

Integrin expression on cell adhesion function and up-regulation of P125FAK and paxillin in metastatic renal carcinoma cells

Integrins from normal human renal cortex epithelial cells (RCEC) and from four renal carcinoma lines (metastatic Caki-1, non-metastatic Caki-2, metastatic ACHN, and non-metastatic 769-P) were compared by immunoprecipitation with specific anti-integrin antibodies. Integrin alpha 2 was present in normal RCEC, but absent in all four tumor lines. There was a 2.0-3.0 fold decrease of alpha 3 and beta 1 in localized tumor lines, and a further 5.0-7.0 fold decrease in metastatic lines over their expression in normal renal cells. No alpha V was detected in Caki-1 cells. The greatest adhesion of all cells occurred in the presence of a stimulatory anti-alpha 3 antibody, mediated by specific matrix proteins employed as substrates, while anti-beta 1 treatment dramatically inhibited cell attachment on collagen IV, plasma fibronectin, laminin and merosin substrates. In addition, the mRNA expression of focal adhesion kinase (p125FAK) and paxillin were up-regulated (2.0-2.5 fold increase) in the metastatic Caki-1 cells over normal RCEC. The alteration of integrin subunits alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha V, beta 1, as well as p125FAK and paxillin may contribute to the pathogenicity and/or metastatic propensity of renal epithelial tumors. The up-regulation of paxillin independently or in concert with p125FAK as shown in this study indicates its significant role as a potential marker of metastasis in renal carcinoma cells.