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. 1993 Nov;119(11):637–644. doi: 10.1007/BF01215981

Characterization of integrin subunits, cellular adhesion and tumorgenicity of four human prostate cell lines

Colette M Witkowski 1, Isaac Rabinovitz 1, Raymond B Nagle 2, Kit-Sahn D Affinito 2, Anne E Cress 1,✉
PMCID: PMC12201258  PMID: 7688749

Abstract

Cellular adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins via integrin molecules is a major factor in the process of invasion and metastasis of human tumor cells. Four human prostate cell lines were characterized according to the presence and quantity of integrin subunits, the ability of the cells to attach to extracellular substrates and the capacity of the cells to form tumors in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. All four human prostate cell lines expressed three to five integrins on their cell surfaces. The DU145, PC3 and 431P cells expressed primarily α3, α5, and α6 integrin at similar levels. These cell lines expressed the subunits β1, β3 and β4 with β1 predominant. The DU145 cells preferred attachment to fibronectin, followed by laminin and vitronectin. Approximately 50%–60% of the binding of DU145 cells to fibronectin and laminin was dependent on the function of α5β1 and α6 respectively. The cell line LNCaP differed in its low expression of the α3 subunit, 95% of cellular adhesion to fobronectin and laminin being integrin-dependent and its inability to attach to vitronectin, in spite of surface expression of αvβ3. All the cell lines except for LNCaP readily formed tumors within SCID mice and the expression of α3, α6, β1, and β4 integrin subunits was preserved in the resulting tumor tissue. The altered adhesion properties of the LNCaP cells may explain their altered tumorigenicity.

Key words: Integrins, Cell adhesion, Human prostate cell lines, Metastasis

Abbreviations

SCID

severe combined immunodeficiency

FITC

fluorescein isothiocynate

FACS

fluorescence-activated cell sorting

PBS

phosphate-buffered saline

FBS

fetal bovine serum

Footnotes

This work was supported in part by a grant from the Friends of the Arizona Cancer Center, Phoenix Chapter, is ACS grant PDT-388 and CH-467 and CA 56666

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