Abstract
Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding protein endowed with affinity for β-galactosides. It plays a role in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized to be involved in tumor progression and metastasis. To address the role of galectin-3 in the invasive and metastatic processes, we stably overexpressed galectin-3 in human breast carcinoma cell lines, and we evaluated the influence of elevated galectin-3 expression on several cell features, including cellular homotypic and heterotypic interactions and cell survival. No differences in various parameters related with cell growth features and proliferation were detected. By contrast, we found that galectin-3 overexpressing cells, with respect to low galectin-3 expressing cells, exerted: (I) a significantly enhanced adhesion to laminin, fibronectin and vitronectin exerted both directly or via increased expression of specific integrins, e.g., alpha-4 and beta-7; (2) a remodeling of those cytoskeletal elements associated with cell spreading, i.e., microfilaments; (3) an enhanced survival upon exposure to different apoptotic stimuli, such as cytokine and radiation. Collectively, our results indicate that overexpression of galectin-3 may play a role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis by specifically influencing cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. This may confer selective survival advantage and resistance to the particular homeless-induced apoptosis called anoikia.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 545-554 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | International Journal of Cancer |
| Volume | 85 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2000 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research
- Oncology
Cite this
Galectin-3 overexpression protects from apoptosis by improving cell adhesion properties. / Matarrese, Paola; Fusco, Ornella; Tinari, Nicola; Natoli, Clara; Liu, Fu-Tong; Semeraro, Maria Letizia; Malorni, Walter; Iacobelli, Stefano.
In: International Journal of Cancer, Vol. 85, No. 4, 2000, p. 545-554.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Galectin-3 overexpression protects from apoptosis by improving cell adhesion properties
AU - Matarrese, Paola
AU - Fusco, Ornella
AU - Tinari, Nicola
AU - Natoli, Clara
AU - Liu, Fu-Tong
AU - Semeraro, Maria Letizia
AU - Malorni, Walter
AU - Iacobelli, Stefano
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding protein endowed with affinity for β-galactosides. It plays a role in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized to be involved in tumor progression and metastasis. To address the role of galectin-3 in the invasive and metastatic processes, we stably overexpressed galectin-3 in human breast carcinoma cell lines, and we evaluated the influence of elevated galectin-3 expression on several cell features, including cellular homotypic and heterotypic interactions and cell survival. No differences in various parameters related with cell growth features and proliferation were detected. By contrast, we found that galectin-3 overexpressing cells, with respect to low galectin-3 expressing cells, exerted: (I) a significantly enhanced adhesion to laminin, fibronectin and vitronectin exerted both directly or via increased expression of specific integrins, e.g., alpha-4 and beta-7; (2) a remodeling of those cytoskeletal elements associated with cell spreading, i.e., microfilaments; (3) an enhanced survival upon exposure to different apoptotic stimuli, such as cytokine and radiation. Collectively, our results indicate that overexpression of galectin-3 may play a role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis by specifically influencing cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. This may confer selective survival advantage and resistance to the particular homeless-induced apoptosis called anoikia.
AB - Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding protein endowed with affinity for β-galactosides. It plays a role in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized to be involved in tumor progression and metastasis. To address the role of galectin-3 in the invasive and metastatic processes, we stably overexpressed galectin-3 in human breast carcinoma cell lines, and we evaluated the influence of elevated galectin-3 expression on several cell features, including cellular homotypic and heterotypic interactions and cell survival. No differences in various parameters related with cell growth features and proliferation were detected. By contrast, we found that galectin-3 overexpressing cells, with respect to low galectin-3 expressing cells, exerted: (I) a significantly enhanced adhesion to laminin, fibronectin and vitronectin exerted both directly or via increased expression of specific integrins, e.g., alpha-4 and beta-7; (2) a remodeling of those cytoskeletal elements associated with cell spreading, i.e., microfilaments; (3) an enhanced survival upon exposure to different apoptotic stimuli, such as cytokine and radiation. Collectively, our results indicate that overexpression of galectin-3 may play a role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis by specifically influencing cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. This may confer selective survival advantage and resistance to the particular homeless-induced apoptosis called anoikia.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033980614&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033980614&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(20000215)85:4<545::AID-IJC17>3.0.CO;2-N
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(20000215)85:4<545::AID-IJC17>3.0.CO;2-N
M3 - Article
C2 - 10699929
AN - SCOPUS:0033980614
VL - 85
SP - 545
EP - 554
JO - International Journal of Cancer
JF - International Journal of Cancer
SN - 0020-7136
IS - 4
ER -