Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) Stimulates Expression of Integrin α6 in Human Breast Carcinoma Cells: A Downstream Modulator of TSP-1-Induced Cellular Adhesion

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is involved in a variety of different cellular processes including cell adhesion, tumor progression, and angiogenesis. This paper reports the novel finding that TSP-1 upregulates integrin alpha6 subunit in human keratinocytes and human breast cancer cells resulting in increased cell adhesion and tumor cell invasion. The effect of TSP-1 on alpha6 subunit expression was examined in human keratinocytes and breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MDA-MB-231) treated with TSP-1 and in TSP-1 stably transfected breast cancer cells. TSP-1 upregulated alpha6 message and protein in these cells as revealed by differential display, Northern and Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical localization studies. The increased expression of alpha6 was shown to mediate adhesion and invasion of these cells to laminin, a major component of the basement membrane and extracellular matrix (ECM). These data suggest that TSP-1 plays an integral role in the attachment of cells to the ECM facilitating cell motility and angiogenesis.