Cadherin-11 is expressed in invasive breast cancer cell lines

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 947 - 952
• Main Authors: PISHVAIAN, M. J, FELTES, C. M, THOMPSON, P, BUSSEMAKERS, M. J, SCHALKEN, J. A, BYERS, S. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 15-02-1999
• Subjects: alpha Catenin; beta Catenin; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Neoplasms - chemistry; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cadherins - analysis; Cadherins - genetics; Cell Membrane - chemistry; Cytoskeletal Proteins - analysis; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Trans-Activators; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors; Human; Gene product; Cell cell interaction; Tumoral marker; Malignant tumor; Cadherin; Gene expression; In vitro; Mammary gland diseases; Messenger RNA; Established cell line; Advanced stage; Mammary gland; Tumor cell
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

In several cancers, including breast cancer, loss of E-cadherin expression is correlated with a loss of the epithelial phenotype and with a gain of invasiveness. Cells that have lost E-cadherin expression are either poorly invasive with a rounded phenotype, or highly invasive, with a mesenchymal phenotype. Most cells lacking E-cadherin still retain weak calcium-dependent adhesion, indicating the presence of another cadherin family member. We have now examined the expression of the mesenchymal cadherin, cadherin-11, in breast cancer cell lines. Cadherin-11 mRNA and protein, as well as a variant form, are expressed in the most invasive cell lines but not in any of the noninvasive cell lines. Cadherin-11 is localized to a detergent-soluble pool and is associated with both alpha- and beta-catenin. Immunocytochemistry shows that cadherin-11 is localized to the cell membrane at sites of cell-cell contact as well as at lamellipodia-like projections, which do not interact with other cells. These results suggest that cadherin-11 expression may be well correlated with the invasive phenotype in cancer cells and may serve as a molecular marker for the more aggressive, invasive subset of tumors. Cadherin-11 may mediate the interaction between malignant tumor cells and other cell types that normally express cadherin-11, such as stromal cells or osteoblasts or perhaps even with the surrounding extracellular matrix, thus facilitating tumor cell invasion and metastasis.