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Class III β‐tubulin expression and function by human vascular pericytes in vitro
Author(s) -
Stapor Peter C,
Lee Murfee Walter
Publication year - 2013
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.27.1_supplement.897.3
Subject(s) - paclitaxel , tubulin , in vitro , downregulation and upregulation , microbiology and biotechnology , angiogenesis , biology , cancer research , chemistry , microtubule , biochemistry , cancer , genetics , gene
Class III β‐tubulin was recently identified as a marker of angiogenic pericytes in adult rat mesenteric microvascular networks. Upregulation of class III β‐tubulin by pericytes temporally correlates with capillary sprouting. While its function in pericytes remains unknown, class III β‐tubulin expression by tumor cells has been associated with resistance to tubulin‐binding agents. The objectives of this study were to determine whether human pericytes express class III β‐tubulin in vitro , and whether the presence of class III β‐tubulin correlates with resistance to paclitaxel, a tubulin‐binding agent. Human placental pericytes (hPCs) were plated in 6‐well culture dishes or on glass slides and grown to confluence. Confluent monolayers of hPCs in the 6‐well plates were scratched and immediately treated with control, 1nM paclitaxel‐or 10 nM paclitaxel‐supplemented media. Cultured pericytes positively labeled for class III β‐tubulin. Starting at 6 hours post scratch, the area closure for both paclitaxel groups was significantly less than the control. For unscratched cells cultured on glass slides, 10 nM paclitaxel treatments caused a decrease in cell proliferation indicated by the percentage of Ki‐67positive nuclei. These results suggest that cultured vascular pericytes display an angiogenic phenotype and that class III β‐tubulin expression by pericytes might not be associated with resistance to tubulin‐binding agents.