NON-COEXPRESSION OF COLLAGENASE AND TRANSIN IN MALIGNANT EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Increased synthesis and secretion of the matrix metalloproteinase has been associated with the acquisition of the invasive properties of mal ignant cells. In a rat malignant anaplastic cell line (T952/F7) sporad ic expression of mRNA for collagenase-3 against a background of high t ransin-l mRNA has been shown. Sporadic induction of either metalloprot einase was not found in the benign precursor cells (A5P/B10) of T952/F 7 cells, but a coordinate mRNA induction profile for these two genes c ould be induced by the addition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetat e. In a different uncloned neoplastic epithelial cell line (BCl) fluct uations in the levels of collagenase and transin appeared coordinately , but coordinate expression was not a feature in cloned lines derived from BCl. The loss of coordinate regulation of the two matrix metallop roteinases may relate to the variability in metastatic potential seen in clonal cell lines.