The role of fibroblasts in the modulation of integrin-dependent interactions between the gastric cell line HGT-1 and fibronectin

Fibronectin plays an important role in gastric cancer progression. However, little is known about the microenvironmental factors modulating integrin-dependent interactions between gastric cancer cells and fibronectin. We therefore studied the regulation by fibroblasts of the integrin-dependent adhesion and migration of the gastric cancer cell line HGT-1 onto fibronectin. We first determined, by immunofluorescence, immunoblotting and flow cytometry, that HGT-1 cells expressed α3, α5, α6, αV and β1 integrin chains, and the αVβ3 and αVβ5 dimers. We verified that HGT-1 cells xenografted to the immunosuppressed newborn rat retained the integrin repertoire detected in vitro and were able to induce the formation of tumors rich in fibronectin. By using an in vitro assay in the presence of neutralizing antibodies, we verified that HGT-1 adhesion and migration onto fibronectin involved β1, αV and α5 integrin chains; we verified, by using an in situ adhesion test to rat gastric wall frozen sections, that in situ HGT-1 adhesion to fibronectin was integrin dependent. In coculture experiments, we showed that organ-specific fibroblasts from stomach, lung and dermis were able to induce, in a site-specific manner, the expression of β1, α5 and αV integrin chains in HGT-1 cells, their integrin-dependent adhesion and migration on fibronectin and their capacity to secrete oncofetal fibronectin. In conclusion, our results show the capacity for tissue-derived fibroblasts to modulate the integrin-dependent interactions between the gastric cell line HGT-1 and fibronectin. They strongly suggest that, in gastric cancer, stromal fibroblasts contribute to promote fibronectin-mediated local invasion by tumor cells. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.