Osteopontin expression correlates with adhesive and metastatic potential in metastasis-inducing DNA-transfected rat mammary cell lines

A metastatic phenotype can be induced in benign rat mammary cells (Rama 37 cells) by transfecting them with metastasis-inducing DNAs (Met-DNAs). Stable transfection of Met-DNAs increases the level of the metastasis-associated protein, osteopontin. Randomly picked clonal cell lines have been established from the pool of Rama 37 cells transfected with one metastasis-inducing DNA, C9-Met-DNA. In these cell lines, moderate correlation is observed between the copy number of C9-Met-DNA and their metastatic potential (linear regression coefficient, R(2)=0.48). A very close correlation is observed between the cell lines’ metastatic potential in vivo and the osteopontin mRNA levels in vitro (R(2)=0.74), but not with another metastasis-associated protein in this system, S100A4 (R(2)=0.21). A close correlation is also observed between osteopontin mRNA levels and the adhesive potential (R(2)=0.91) of the cells, but not with their growth rate in vitro (R(2)=0.03). These observations support the previous suggestion that osteopontin is the direct effector of C9-Met-DNA and that the presence of C9-Met-DNA is necessary, if not sufficient, for the induction of metastasis in vivo in this system. Additionally, these results suggest that Rama 37 cells with increased osteopontin mRNA levels become metastatic not through an increased growth rate, but through an increase in cellular adhesiveness.