Expression of kallikrein 7 diminishes pancreatic cancer cell adhesion to vitronectin and enhances urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor shedding.
Pancreas 2008;
37:399-404. [PMID:
18953252 DOI:
10.1097/mpa.0b013e31817f76f7]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To examine the effects of kallikrein 7 (KLK7) expression in pancreatic cancer cells on cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins.
METHODS
Kallikrein 7 was overexpressed in the pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC-3, and in vitro cell adhesion assays were performed to determine alterations in cell adhesion to collagen I, fibronectin, and vitronectin compared with vector-transfected cells. Changes in cell surface expression of alphavbeta3 integrin were examined by flow cytometry, and the release of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) was monitored by Western blot analysis.
RESULTS
The expression of KLK7 in BxPC-3 cells led to reduced adhesion to vitronectin but not collagen I or fibronectin. Loss of cell adhesion to vitronectin was not caused by changes in the level of alphavbeta3 integrin cell surface expression; however, a significant increase in the amount of uPAR shed was observed in KLK7-expressing cells compared with vector-transfected control cells.
CONCLUSIONS
The aberrant expression of KLK7 in pancreatic cancer cells leads to a reduction in cell adhesion to vitronectin that may result from the cleavage of uPAR from the cell surface. Kallikrein 7 expression, therefore, may play an important role in the dissemination of tumor cells through the production of soluble uPAR in pancreatic cancer and perhaps other human malignancies.
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