METCAM/MUC18 augments migration, invasion, and tumorigenicity of human breast cancer SK-BR-3 cells

Previous research has identified METCAM/MUC18, an integral membrane cell adhesion molecule (CAM) in the Ig-like gene super-family, as a promoter or a suppressor in the development of human breast cancer by MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468. To resolve these conflicting results we have investigated the role of this CAM in the progression of the three aforementioned cell lines plus one additional human breast cancer cell line, SK-BR-3. We transfected the SK-BR-3 cells with human METCAM/MUC18 cDNA to obtain G418-resistant clones, which expressed different levels of the protein and which were used to test the effect of human METCAM/MUC18 expression on in vitro motility, invasiveness, anchorage-independent colony formation in soft agar, disorganized growth in a 3D basement membrane culture assay, and in vivo tumorigenesis in athymic nude mice. Enforced METCAM/MUC18 expression increased in vitro motility, invasiveness, and anchorage-independent colony formation of SK-BR-3 cells and favored disorganized growth of the cells in 3D basement membrane culture. Enforced expression also increased tumorigenicity and final tumor weights of SK-BR-3 clones/cells after subcutaneous injection of the cells under the left third nipple of female athymic nude mice. To understand the mechanisms, we also determined the expression of several downstream key effectors in the tumors. Tumor cells from METCAM/MUC18 expressing clones exhibited elevated expression of an anti-apoptotic and survival index (Bcl2), an aerobic glycolysis index (LDH-A), and pro-angiogenesis indexes (VEGF and VAGFR2). We concluded that human METCAM/MUC18 promotes the development of breast cancer cells by increasing an anti-apoptosis and survival pathway and augmenting aerobic glycolysis and angiogenesis.