Identification of differentially expressed genes in isogenic highly metastatic and poorly metastatic cell lines of R3230AC rat mammary adenocarcinoma

Tumour metastasis occurs as a result of a cascade of events including alterations in the expression of various genes. The identification of such genes is essential to understanding formation of metastasis. In a previous study, highly metastatic (LN4.D6) and poorly metastatic (CAb.D5) cell lines were obtained from the rat mammary adenocarcinoma cell line R3230AC. Subtractive hybridization was used to identify differentially expressed genes between these two cell lines. We identified eight cDNA clones in CAb.D5 and six cDNA clones in LN4.D6 that were differentially expressed. One of the cDNA clones in each cell line had no homology with known sequences. Expression patterns of these differentially expressed genes were examined in a pair of rat mammary and prostate adenocarcinoma cell lines. Compared with cell lines examined, cDNA FF-10 was only expressed in CAb.D5; however, cDNA RB-8, RE-1, RF-5 were only expressed in the highly metastatic LN4.D6. No correlation was observed between expression patterns of the differentially expressed genes and metastatic potential of these cells. However, differential expression of genes, especially cytokeratins (CK8 and CK5) and collagens (III and IV) between highly metastatic and low metastatic rat mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines might initiate further investigation of these genes in metastatic process.