Enhanced E-cadherin expression and increased calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion in human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax-expressing PC12 cells

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) Tax protein induces the expression of host cellular genes, some of which are crucial in cell proliferation and differentiation. We examined the mechanisms by which HTLV-I Tax protein induces phenotypic changes in PC12 cells. We demonstrated that the HTLV-I Tax gene induces epithelioid changes and increases cell-cell contact in PC12 cells. No change in the expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule was observed between HTLV-I Tax-expressing PC12 cells and PC12 cells transfected with a control plasmid. However, HTLV-I Tax-expressing PC12 cells demonstrated a marked change in the abundance and distribution of E-cadherin, which was concentrated at regions of cellular contact and accompanied by changes in calcium-dependent cell adhesion. Although E-cadherin is expressed at low levels in PC12 and PC12 transfected with a control plasmid cells, the steady state level of E-cadherin in tax-expressing PC12 cells increases significantly, apparently as a result of regulation at the transcriptional level. Diminished expression of Tax protein in Tax-expressing PC12 cells exposed to antisense oligonucleotides for the Tax gene suppresses E-cadherin expression and decreases cell-cell adhesion. These findings imply that HTLV-I Tax protein enhanced E-cadherin expression modulates calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion mechanisms.