Post-translational modulation of CD133 expression during sodium butyrate-induced differentiation of HT29 human colon cancer cells: implications for its detection

The CD133 molecule has been proposed as a surface marker of cancer stem cells in several human malignancies, including colon cancers. The function and the mechanisms regulating CD133 expression remain unknown. The HT29 human colon cancer cells undergo differentiation following treatment with various agents and represent a useful in vitro model of colon differentiation. This study evaluated the behavior of CD133 during sodium butyrate-induced differentiation of HT29 cells. Treatment with sodium butyrate induced a progressive decrease of CD133 expression, as assessed by flow cytometry using the AC133 monoclonal antibody. Indeed, expression of CD133, which was about 47% in untreated control cells, gradually decreased down to about 3% after 72 h in a time- and dose-dependent manner. No relationship was observed between CD133 protein evaluated by flow cytometry and mRNA expression level, and no changes were detected in the methylation status of the CD133 gene promoter during HT29 differentiation. Moreover, the expression of the CD133 protein, evaluated by Western blot analysis using a specific anti-CD133 antibody directed against the C-terminal intracytoplasmic region of human CD133 protein, did not correlate with flow cytometry results. Different results were also obtained using the two antibodies to analyze the expression of the CD133 molecule in human colon cancers. These findings demonstrate that membrane expression of the CD133 stem cell marker might undergo a complex regulation during differentiation of colon cells and suggest that HT29 cells are a useful in vitro model to study the mechanisms involved in this regulation which likely occurs at a post-transcriptional level.