Progastrin overexpression imparts tumorigenic/metastatic potential to embryonic epithelial cells: phenotypic differences between transformed and nontransformed stem cells.

ABSTRACT: We recently reported that overexpression of progastrin (PG) in embryonic epithelial cells (HEKmGAS cells) increased proliferation of the cells compared to that of control HEKC cells. Here, we report the novel finding that tumorigenic and metastatic potential of HEKmGAS cells is also increased significantly compared to that of HEKC cells. Cell surface-associated annexinA2 (CS-ANXA2) binds PG and is overexpressed on cancer cells, allowing us to successfully use fluorescently labeled PG peptide for enumerating metastatic lesions of transformed/cancer cells in vivo. Next, we examined the hypothesis that increased tumorigenic/metastatic potential of isogenic HEKmGAS versus HEKC cells maybe due to transformed phenotype of stem cells. FACSorting/FACScanning of cells demonstrated significant incre

SUBMITTER: Sarkar S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3409332 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature