Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication and Breast Cancer Metastasis to Bone
Abstract
This is the final report of a one year Concept Award. All three specific aims of the original proposal were successfully completed. We were also able to begin several additional experiments not proposed in the original application. We found that: 1) expressing the metastasis suppressing gene BRMS1 in diverse cancer cell lines, including breast and melanoma, restores homotypic gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC); 2) that metastatic breast cancer cells express a different connexin profile ((Cx43(-)/Cx32(+)) than normal breast epithelial cells or metastases suppressed breast cancer cell lines ((Cx43(+)/Cx32(-)); 3) that metastatic breast cancer cells do not establish significant GJIC with normal breast epithelial cells but those expressing the metastasis suppressing gene BRMS1 do; 4) that while metastatic breast cancer cells do not establish GJIC with themselves they do establish heterotypic GJIC with bone cells; 5) that metastatic breast cancer cells express abundant OPN while those expressing the metastasis suppressing gene BRMS1 do not; and 6) expressing Cx43 in metastatic breast cancer cells dramatically reduces OPN expression and reestablishes homotypic GJIC. These results suggest that connexin expression and GJIC contribute to breast cancer metastasis to bone.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA405244
Entities
People
- Henry J. Donahue
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University