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CD133 expression is modulated at a post‐translational level during sodium butyrate‐induced differentiation of HT29 human colon cancer cells
Author(s) -
Sgambato Alessandro,
Errico Federica,
Puglisi Maria Ausiliatrice,
Corbi Maddalena,
Boninsegna Alma,
Rettino Alessandro,
Genovese Giannicola,
Coco Claudio,
Gasbarrini Antonio,
Cittadini Achille
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.1002.18
Subject(s) - sodium butyrate , flow cytometry , microbiology and biotechnology , stem cell , cancer stem cell , monoclonal antibody , western blot , cell culture , biology , cellular differentiation , antibody , cancer research , chemistry , immunology , gene , biochemistry , genetics
Human CD133 is a cell surface glycoprotein whose expression has been shown to characterize normal as well as cancer stem cells in several tissues. Despite the enormous interest for this molecule, its functions and ligands and its involvement in essential properties of stem cells such as self‐renewal and differentiation remain unknown. In the present study, expression of the CD133 protein was analyzed during the sodium butyrate‐induced differentiation of the HT29 colon cancer cell line. Treatment induced a progressive decrease of CD133 expression, as assessed by flow cytometry using the AC133 monoclonal antibody, in a time‐ and dose‐dependent fashion. No relationship was observed between CD133 protein evaluated by flow cytometry and mRNA expression level and no changes were detected in the methylation status of the CD133 gene promoter. Moreover, the expression of the CD133 protein, evaluated by western blot analysis using an antibody directed against the C‐terminal intracytoplasmic region of human CD133 protein, did not correlate with flow cytometry results. Different results were also obtained using the two antibodies to analyze the expression of the CD133 molecule in human colon cancers. These findings demonstrate that CD133 expression might undergo a complex regulation during differentiation of colon cells which likely occurs at a post‐transcriptional level.