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Sodium channel protein expression enhances the invasiveness of rat and human prostate cancer cells
Author(s) -
Smith Paul,
Rhodes Nicholas P,
Shortland Adam P,
Fraser Scott P,
Djamgoz Mustafa B.A,
Ke Youqiang,
Foster Christopher S
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(98)00050-7
Subject(s) - flow cytometry , cell culture , biology , in vitro , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , biochemistry , genetics
Expression of Na + channel protein was analysed in established cell lines of rat and human prostatic carcinoma origin by flow cytometry using a fluorescein‐labelled polyclonal antibody. In many cell lines examined, the obtained frequency distribution profiles were bimodal and identified a subpopulation of cells which expressed high levels of Na + channel protein. A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between the proportion of channel‐expressing cells and the functional ability of individual cell lines to invade a basement membrane matrix in vitro. In addition, two transfectant cell lines containing rat prostate cancer genomic DNA were found to express significantly elevated levels of Na + channel protein when compared with the original benign recipient cell line. Enhanced Na + channel expression by two metastatic derivatives of these transfectant cells directly correlated with increased invasiveness in vitro. These studies strongly support the hypothesis that expression of Na + channel protein and the metastatic behaviour of prostatic carcinoma cells are functionally related, either by endowing the membranes of these cells with specialised electrophysiological properties (e.g. enhancing their motility and/or secretory activities) and/or by perturbing endogenous mechanisms regulating ionic homeostasis within the cells.