Comparing 2-dimensional vs. 3-dimensional human prostate cancer transcriptomes uncovers growth-specific gene signatures
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ABSTRACT: Prostate cancer research has relied heavily on patient-derived cell lines, which may be used for in vitro (2-dimensional) studies or cultivated as 3-dimensional xenografts in mice. These approaches are likely to have differential impacts on cell differentiation, with implications for research outcomes. Therefore, defining and comparing the transcriptional signatures associated with 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional approaches is essential to adequately plan experiments and interpret research data. In this study, LNCaP, VCaP, and 22Rv1 human prostate cancer cells were either cultivated in monolayers or as xenografts in NOD Scid mice, and their gene transcription profiles were studied and compared using microarray and RT-PCR techniques. This comparison identified gene sets featuring similar expression patterns in all three cancer cell lines and unique transcriptional signatures associated with 3-dimensional versus 2-dimensional growth. Pathway over-representation analysis revealed an enrichment of pathways related to cell-cell interactions, differentiation and the extracellular matrix. Immunohistochemical analyses confirmed that gene up-regulation in xenografts occurred in implanted cancer cells and not mouse stromal cells. Cultivating cells in vitro in the presence of mouse - rather than bovine - serum failed to elicit the gene transcription profile observed in xenografts, further supporting the hypothesis that this profile reflects 3-dimensional growth and enhanced microenvironmental interactions, rather than exposure to mouse-related factors. Overall, these findings define the expression profiles observed in prostate cancer cells cultivated in monolayers and in xenografts, highlighting differentially regulated pathways in each setting and providing essential information for performing and interpreting research in this field.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE141545 | GEO | 2020/03/17
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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