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Expression of galectin‐1 mRNA correlates with the malignant potential of human gliomas and expression of antisense galectin‐1 inhibits the growth of 9 glioma cells
Author(s) -
Yamaoka K.,
Mishima K.,
Nagashima Y.,
Asai A.,
Sanai Y.,
Kirino T.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4547(20000315)59:6<722::aid-jnr4>3.0.co;2-h
Subject(s) - glioma , transfection , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , messenger rna , astrocytoma , galectin 3 , galectin , western blot , antisense rna , cell culture , cancer research , gene , immunology , biochemistry , genetics
Although its precise function has not yet been established, galectin‐1 seems to play a role in tumor progression. In this study, we investigated galectin‐1 mRNA expression in human glioma specimens and glioma cell lines. Northern blot analysis showed higher galectin‐1 mRNA levels in glioma tissues. The 0.7‐kb galectin‐1 mRNA transcript was detected, and the expression level correlated with the malignant state, from low‐grade astrocytoma to glioblastoma. In several human glioma specimens, immunohistochemical examination with antiserum against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the predicted C‐terminal sequence of the protein showed high levels of galectin‐1 expression. To clarify the correlation between the expression of galectin‐1 and the malignancy of gliomas, we examined whether expression of antisense galectin‐1 would suppress tumor growth in rat 9L cells that express high levels of galectin−1. The cells were transfected with a plasmid DNA that produces antisense galectin‐1 mRNA under the control of the metallothionein promoter, and stable clones expressing low levels of galectin‐1 protein in comparison with control clones were isolated. Cells with low levels of galectin‐1 displayed dramatic phenotypic changes in their morphology and growth properties compared with vector‐transfected control 9L cells. Our data suggest that decreased expression of galectin‐1 may arrest the growth of rat 9L cells. J. Neurosci. Res. 59:722–730, 2000 © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.