Glioblastoma stem cells produce vascular endothelial growth factor by activation of a G-protein coupled formylpeptide receptor FPR

J Pathol. 2008 Aug;215(4):369-76. doi: 10.1002/path.2356.

Abstract

Glioma stem cells (GSCs), or stem cell-like glioma cells, isolated from malignant glioma cell lines, were capable of producing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, the exact role of such tumour cells in angiogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we isolated a small proportion of CD133+ GSCs from the human glioblastoma cell line U87 and found that these GSCs possessed multipotent differentiation potential and released high levels of VEGF as compared with CD133(-) tumour cells. The CD133+ GSCs also formed larger xenograft tumours that contained higher VEGF immunoreactivity and denser microvessels. Moreover, GSCs expressed a functional G protein-coupled formylpeptide receptor FPR, which was activated by a chemotactic peptide ligand, N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF), to mediate calcium flux and the production of VEGF by GSCs. Our results indicate that FPR expressed by human GSCs may play an important role in glioma angiogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AC133 Antigen
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / analysis
  • Brain Neoplasms / immunology
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Glioblastoma / immunology
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism*
  • Glycoproteins / analysis
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic
  • Peptides / analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • Receptors, Formyl Peptide / analysis
  • Receptors, Formyl Peptide / genetics
  • Receptors, Formyl Peptide / metabolism*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / analysis
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / biosynthesis*

Substances

  • AC133 Antigen
  • Antigens, CD
  • Glycoproteins
  • PROM1 protein, human
  • Peptides
  • Prom1 protein, mouse
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Formyl Peptide
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • GTP-Binding Proteins