Galectin-3 maintains the transformed phenotype of thyroid papillary carcinoma cells

• DOI: 10.3892/ijo.18.4.787
• Publication Date: 2014-03-10T03:26:43Z
• Authors: T. Yoshii; H. Inohara; Y. Takenaka; Y. Honjo; S. Akahani; T. Nomura; A. Raz; T. Kubo
• Keywords: Membrane Glycoproteins; Galectin 3; Blotting, Western; Genetic Vectors; Blotting, Northern; Transfection; Antigens, Differentiation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Carcinoma, Papillary; DNA, Antisense; Fibronectins; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Phenotype; Transformation, Genetic; 0302 clinical medicine; Cell Adhesion; Humans; Laminin; Thyroid Neoplasms; Cell Division; DNA Primers

Galectin-3, a beta-galactoside-binding protein, is highly expressed in thyroid papillary carcinomas, while functional relevance of galectin-3 overexpression to the malignant phenotype remains elusive. In the present study we transfected galectin-3 antisense cDNA into the human thyroid papillary carcinoma cell line NPA which expresses an innately high level of galectin-3, and examined the effect of antisense inhibition of galectin-3 expression on the transformed phenotype. There was no difference in anchorage-dependent growth between the antisense clones and either the control or parental clones. In contrast, anchorage-independent growth and saturation density of the antisense clones were significantly suppressed compared to those of either the control or parental clones. These results demonstrate that overexpression of galectin-3 in thyroid papillary carcinoma cells is necessary for the maintenance of transformed phenotype, and suggest galectin-3 as a potential target for therapeutic interventions in the future.