BCL-2 promotes migration and invasiveness of human glioma cells

Malignant progression in gliomas is correlated with increased migratory cap acity which involves metalloproteolytic activity. Here, we report that ecto pic expression of BCL-2 in two malignant glioma sublines markedly promoted glioma cell migration from spheroids and invasion into Matrigel-coated memb ranes, Invasion of fetal rat-brain aggregates was enhanced by BCL-2, Zymogr aphy revealed activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in BCL-2-exp ressing cells. BCL-2 expressing cells showed an increase in MMP-2/-3/-12 (L N-18), and MMP-9/-12 and cell surface urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) (LN-229) mRNA and a reduction in tissue inhibitors of metalloprotein ases (TIMP)-2 mRNA (LN-229). Taken together, we propose a novel function fo r BCL-2 in the malignant phenotype of glioma cells, that is, to enhance mig ration and invasion by altering the expression of a set of metalloproteinas es and their inhibitors. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societ ies.