Expression of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase stimulates differentiated behaviour in specific transformed cell populations

Background: Tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TN-AP) is a membrane-bound glycoprotein enzyme which is characterized by its phosphohydrolytic activity. This enzyme is distributed virtually in all mammalian tissues during embryonic development (it can be demonstrated as early as the 2-cell stage) where its expression is stage specific. The expression of TN-AP is frequently associated with cell differentiation and as such it has been used as a marker for this process. By employing a stable gene transfer and forced gene expression technique, previous findings suggested that TN-AP expression might influence cellular proliferation and morphological differentiation. The focus of this study was to determine whether this was a cell-specific effect or not. Methods: The effects of TN-AP on various aspects of cellular activity were assessed by transferring and expressing the gene for this enzyme into three target populations; 1) CHO, 2) R1610, and 3) Rat-2. The parameters of cellular activity studied included cellular proliferation, cell cycle, cell migration, and tumorigenic potential (in the nude mouse). Cell cycle and cell proliferation analyses were accomplished, in part, through the use of fluorescence activated cell sorting (FAGS) as were determinations of cell-associated TN-AP activity and amount. Northern and southern blot analyses were used to estimate gene copy number and to evaluate gene expression respectively in transfected cell lines. Results: Our data indicate that the TN-AP gene under control of various gene promoters was stably integrated into three fibroblast-like cell lines (CHO, R1610, and Rat-2). TN-AP activity and TN-AP protein levels were correlated to the strength of the various gene promoters, but not to inserted gene copy numbers. The expression of the TN-AP gene in these three cell types further suggests cell-specific effects as demonstrated by the following findings. The expression of TN-AP under control of a weak gene promoter in CHO and Rat-2 cells clearly decreased cell proliferation and cell migration. However, the expression of TN-AP under control of either a weak or even a strong gene promoter in R1610 cells did not induce any changes in that cell line's behaviour (apart from expression of TN-AP). Such changes in CHO cells were also associated with a 2.2-fold increase in tubulin transcription as well as suppressed tumorigenic potential. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings suggest that the inhibitory effects of TN-AP expression on proliferation and cell migration are not non-specific and that high expression of TN-AP may induce changes in cell behaviour which may be consistent with or at least related to induction of terminal differentiation. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.