Procathepsin-L, a proteinase that cleaves human C3 (the third component of complement), confers high tumorigenic and metastatic properties to human melanoma cells

We previously demonstrated that highly metastatic human melanoma cells secrete a 41 kDa proteinase that cleaves C3, the third component of complement, and shares antigenic determinants with procathepsin-L. Thus, we herein transfected the nonmetastatic DX-3 melanoma cells with the procathepsin-L cDNA...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 1998-07, Vol.58 (13), p.2733-2736
Main Authors: FRADE, R, RODRIGUES-LIMA, F, SUYUN HUANG, KEPING XIE, GUILLAUME, N, BAR-ELI, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cathepsin L
Cathepsins - genetics
Cathepsins - metabolism
Cathepsins - physiology
Complement C3 - immunology
Dermatology
Enzyme Precursors - genetics
Enzyme Precursors - metabolism
Enzyme Precursors - physiology
Humans
Medical sciences
Melanoma - enzymology
Melanoma - immunology
Melanoma - secondary
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Mice, Nude
Phenotype
Skin Neoplasms - enzymology
Skin Neoplasms - immunology
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
Transfection
Tumor Cells, Cultured
Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions
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Summary:We previously demonstrated that highly metastatic human melanoma cells secrete a 41 kDa proteinase that cleaves C3, the third component of complement, and shares antigenic determinants with procathepsin-L. Thus, we herein transfected the nonmetastatic DX-3 melanoma cells with the procathepsin-L cDNA. Three clones expressing and secreting high levels of procathepsin-L were selected. Conditioned medium and whole cell extracts from these clones, but not from control cells, carried a high C3-cleaving activity. The transfected clones displayed up to 60% resistance to complement-mediated lysis. Overexpression of procathepsin-L in melanoma cells increased their tumorigenicity and switched their phenotype from nonmetastatic to highly metastatic cells. This is the first report that demonstrates that enforced expression of procathepsin-L by human melanoma cells arms them with the ability to inactivate complement-mediated lysis and contributes to tumor growth and metastasis.
ISSN:0008-5472
1538-7445