This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Demers, M. Articles by St-Pierre, Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Demers, M. Articles by St-Pierre, Y.

A Novel Function for Galectin-7: Promoting Tumorigenesis by Up-regulating MMP-9 Gene Expression

¹ INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, University of Québec, Laval, Québec, Canada and ² Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UPR 2169, "Instabilité Génétique et Cancer", Institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France

Requests for reprints: Yves St-Pierre, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, University of Quebec, 531 Boulevard Des Prairies, Laval, Quebec, Canada, H7V 1B7. Phone: 450-686-5354; Fax: 450-686-5501; E-mail: yves.st-pierre{at}inrs-iaf.uquebec.ca.

Metastasis is a multistep process by which cancer cells, after acquiring several capabilities, spread to distinct sites in the body. It is the major cause of death in individuals suffering from cancer. We have recently identified galectin-7 as a new gene associated with the progression of T cell lymphoma toward a metastatic phenotype, suggesting a possible causal relationship. The present study was designed to investigate the role of galectin-7 in lymphoma. We found that the development of thymic lymphoma was accelerated when induced by lymphoma cells overexpressing galectin-7. Moreover, transfection of an expression vector containing the galectin-7 gene in low metastatic lymphoma cells increased their metastatic behavior and confers these cells with the new ability to overcome the resistance of intercellular adhesion molecule-1–deficient mice to lymphoma dissemination. Finally, we provide data suggesting that galectin-7 modulates the aggressive behavior of lymphoma cells by controlling the expression of metastatic genes, such as MMP-9. This hypothesis is based on the following evidence: (a) galectin-7 transfectants have higher levels of MMP-9 expression, (b) addition of ß-lactose completely inhibits expression of MMP-9 by galectin-7 transfectants, and (c) recombinant forms of galectin-7 induces the expression of MMP-9 in both mouse and human lymphoma cells. Our results have uncovered the existence of a previously undescribed activity, the promotion of cancer cell malignancy, to galectin-7.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M.-H. Wu, T.-M. Hong, H.-W. Cheng, S.-H. Pan, Y.-R. Liang, H.-C. Hong, W.-F. Chiang, T.-Y. Wong, D.-B. Shieh, A.-L. Shiau, et al. Galectin-1-Mediated Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, Up-Regulated Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression, and Reorganized Actin Cytoskeletons Mol. Cancer Res., March 1, 2009; 7(3): 311 - 318. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Demers, K. Biron-Pain, J. Hebert, A. Lamarre, T. Magnaldo, and Y. St-Pierre Galectin-7 in Lymphoma: Elevated Expression in Human Lymphoid Malignancies and Decreased Lymphoma Dissemination by Antisense Strategies in Experimental Model Cancer Res., March 15, 2007; 67(6): 2824 - 2829. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Matsui, S. Ueda, J. Watanabe, I. Kuwabara, O. Ogawa, and H. Nishiyama Sensitizing Effect of Galectin-7 in Urothelial Cancer to Cisplatin through the Accumulation of Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species Cancer Res., February 1, 2007; 67(3): 1212 - 1220. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]