Integrin expression and usage by prostate cancer cell lines on laminin substrata

During prostate cancer progression, invasive glandular epithelial cells mov e out of the ductal-acinar architecture and through the surrounding basemen t membrane, Extracellular matrix proteins and associated soluble factors in the basal lamina and underlying stroma are known to be important regulator s of prostate cell behaviors in both normal and malignant tissues. In this study, we assessed cell interactions with extracellular matrix and stromal factors during disease progression by characterizing integrin usage and exp ression in a series of parental and lineage-derived LNCaP human prostate ca ncer cell lines. Although few shifts in integrin expression were found to a ccompany disease progression, integrin heterodimer usage did change signifi cantly. The more metastatic sublines were distinct in their use of alpha (v )beta (3) and, when compared with parental LNCaP cells, showed a shift in a lpha (6) heterodimerization, a subunit critical not only for interaction wi th prostate basal lamina but also for interaction with the bone matrix, a f avored site of prostate cancer metastases.