Metastasis-associated genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma and salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma: a differential DNA chip analysis between metastatic and nonmetastatic cell systems

Overall modes of differential gene expressions were analyzed between human oral/salivary carcinoma cell systems with (MK-1 and ACCM) and without (ZK-1/ZK-2 and ACC2/ACC3) metastatic potential by using micro-array analysis with cancer-associated DNA chips to determine the kinds of genes associated with metastatic behaviors. MK-1 and/or ACCM showed lower levels of gene expression in extracellular matrix-related molecules, such as collagen type IV, laminin, and adhesion molecules such as cadherin 2, but higher levels of genes which control extracellular matrix degradation, such as MMP 9, as well as cell growth and cycle, such as FGF7 and cyclin D1. Among the differentially expressed genes, similar protein expression tendencies for FGF7, laminin, cyclin D1, and collagen type IV were confirmed by immunofluorescence. Metastatic potentials of oral/salivary carcinoma cells seem to have resulted from certain combinations of over-/underexpression of the genes, which were responsible for extracellular matrix metabolism and cell growth in particular.