Correlation between metastatic potency and the down-regulation of E-cadherin in the mouse hepatoma cell lines G-1 and G-5

Cell-cell adhesiveness, involving the adherens junction system including ho mophilic adhesion of cadherin and intracellular catenins, is a critical fac tor for tumor cell invasion and metastasis. We evaluated the levels of E-ca dherin and beta-catenin in hepatoma cell sublines with high and low metasta tic capacities. Stimulation of these cells with serum growth factors for mo re than 3 h after 24 h of starvation caused decreases in levels of E-cadher in and beta-catenin in the subline with high metastatic capacity, G-5. In c ontrast, no significant changes were observed in the subline with low metas tatic capacity, G-1. Concomitantly with the decreases in E-cadherin and bet a-catenin levels, G-5 cells were dissociated and detached from the culture dish, although G-1 cells again showed no morphological alterations. These i n vitro results reflected the in vivo metastatic potencies of these hepatom a sublines, and further suggested the importance of the adherens junction s ystem in determining metastatic potency of these parenchymal tumor cell lin es as in epithelial/endothelial tumors.