Human Prostate Cell Lines Mimic Heterogeneity of Cadherin Expression in Human Prostate Cancer

Cadherins play an important role in the progression from a non-invasive to an invasive phenotype. Cadherins are involved in homotypic cell–cell adhesion, cell shape, cell polarization and organization of glandular epithelial cells. Therefore, changes in cadherin expression or function can lead to changes in cell morphology, organization and cell behavior. An association between changes in cadherin expression and clinical aggressiveness of cancer has been suggested. Non-tumorigenic and malignant human prostate epithelial cell lines, with the same lineage, were used to examine changes in cell behavior associated with abnormal cadherin expression. Western blot analysis, anchorage-dependent and -independent growth, invasion in vitro, immunostaining, 3-dimensional (3-D) culture, confocal microscopy, and xenografts in nude mice, were used to examine cadherin expression and associated changes in cell behavior in cells transformed by Ki-ras-, cadmium, or N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). The non-tumorigenic RWPE-1 ce...