Disorganisation of cytoskeleton in cells resistant to photodynamic treatment with decreased metastatic phenotype

The appearance of cells resistant to photodynamic therapy (PDT) is crucial for the outcome of this antitumoral treatment. We had previously isolated two sublines resistant to PDT derived from the mammary adenocarcinoma LM3 [A. Casas, C. Perotti, B. Ortel, G. Di Venosa, M. Saccoliti, A. Batlle, T. Hasan, Induction of murine tumour cell lines resistant to ALA-mediated Photodynamic Therapy, Int. J. Oncol. 29 (2006) 397–405.]. These clones have severely impaired its metastatic potential in vivo together with decreased general anchorage-dependent adhesion and invasion. In the present work we analyzed the differential expression and distribution of cytoskeleton and adhesion proteins in these cell lines.In both resistant clones, loss of actin stress fibers and disorganization of the actin cortical rim was observed. E-cadherin and β-catenin and vinculin distribution was also disorganized. However, Western blot assays did not show differential expression of actin, E-cadherin, vinculin or β-catenin.It was demonstrated that PDT strongly affects cell–cell and cell-substrate adhesion through the reorganization of some cytoskeletal and adhesion proteins. Changes in the metastasis phenotypes previously found are likely to be ascribed to these differences.