WISP-2: A serum-inducible gene differentially expressed in human normal breast epithelial cells and in MCF-7 breast tumor cells

WISP-2 is a Wnt-1-induced signaling protein identified as a member of CCN g rowth factor family. A role for this molecule during tumorigenesis is suspe cted but remains unproven, Here we show that WISP-2 expression was undetect able, or minimally detectable, in nontransformed human mammary epithelial c ells, but was overexpressed in MCF-7 cells. Expression of WISP-2 in MCF-7 c ells was modulated by serum and correlated with the serum-induced MCF-7 tum or cell proliferation, suggesting that WISP-2 is serum responsive and may b e a positive regulator of tumor cell proliferation, (C) 2001 Academic Press .