Expression and regulation of WNT10B in human cancer: up-regulation of WNT10B in MCF-7 cells by beta-estradiol and down-regulation of WNT10B in NT2 cells by retinoic acid.

WNT signaling molecules, playing key roles in embryogenesis and carcinogenesis, are potent targets for regenerative medicine and clinical oncology. We have previously cloned and characterized the human orthologue of mouse proto-oncogene Wnt-10b using bioinformatics and cDNA-PCR. Human WNT10B is moderately expressed in MKN45 and MKN74 cells derived from human gastric cancer, and is up-regulated by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) in MKN45 cells. Here, expression and regulation of WNT10B in human cancer other than gastric cancer were investigated using cDNA-PCR. WNT10B mRNA was expressed in the majority of squamous cell carcinoma cell lines derived from esophageal cancer and cervical cancer. WNT10B mRNA was relatively highly expressed in TE3, TE6, TE10, TE11 (esophageal cancer), Hs700T (pancreatic cancer), SKG-IIIa, HeLa S3 (cervical cancer), and T-47D (breast cancer). Expression of WNT10B mRNA was up-regulated by beta-estradiol in MCF-7 cells expressing estrogen receptors. Expression of WNT10B mRNA was down-regulated by all-trans retinoic acid in NT2 cells with the potential of self renewal and neuronal differentiation. WNT10B might be implicated in self renewal of stem cells as well as in carcinogenesis through activation of the WNT - beta-catenin pathway.