EXPRESSION OF N-CADHERIN AND ALPHA-CATENIN IN ASTROCYTOMAS AND GLIOBLASTOMAS

We examined levels of mRNA and protein for N-cadherin, the predominant cadherin in neural tissues, and mRNA levels for the cadherin-associat ed protein, alpha-catenin, in a series of gliomas and in glioblastoma cell lines, mRNA levels for N-cadherin and alpha-catenin were signific antly higher in glioblastomas than in low-grade astrocytomas or normal brain, while the levels of intact N-cadherin protein were similar in glioblastomas, low-grade astrocytomas and brain. In addition, there wa s no consistent relationship between invasiveness and expression of N- cadherin and alpha-catenin in highly invasive vs minimally invasive tu mours within the same histopathological grade. To assess further the r elationship between cadherin expression and neural tumour invasion, we measured N-cadherin expression, calcium-dependent cell adhesion and m otility of several glioblastoma cell lines. While all N-cadherin-expre ssing lines were adhesive, no correlation was seen between the level o f N-cadherin expression and cell motility. Together, these findings im ply that, in contrast to the role played by E-cadherin in carcinomas, N-cadherin does not restrict the invasion of glioblastomas.