Neuropilin-2 and epithelial to mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer cells.

10628 Background: Neuropilin (NRP) gene family consists of two genes, neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and neuropilin-2 (NRP2). NRPs are multifunctional glycoprotein originally described in the nervous system, capable of mediating axon retraction and guidance by binding class III semaphorins. Interestingly, NRP2 was shown to support an angiogenic activity by binding several growth factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and by interacting with the family of VEGF tyrosine kinase receptors. The multiple functions of NRPs were recently highlighted by the identification of NRP role in oncogenesis. Methods: We used human colon cancer cell lines transfected with NRP2 transgene or siRNA to investigate NRP2 involvement in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). First, the influence of NRP2 expression on proliferation and tumor formation was studied in vitro by MTT and soft agar assays and in vivo using xenografts experiments. Ability of NRP2 to orchestrate EMT was then investigated by flow cytometry, i...