The α5β1 fibronectin receptor sensitizes carcinoma cells to Galectin–1 mediated anoikis

Resistance to anoikis, an apoptosis program initiated by loss of contact to the extracellular matrix, is a hallmark of transformed epithelial cells. In previous studies, we could restore anoikis in Capan–1 human pancreatic cancer cells by restitution of p16 via mechanisms that required the induction of the fibronectin receptor α5β1. To identify potential mediators in the p16-dependent pathway that induces anoikis, we conducted a gene expression profiling. Among almost 2000 genes screened, the mRNA for the lectin Galectin–1 was one of the most prominently induced, defining this gene as a novel transcriptional tar…