Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.,
Volume 18, Number 4, April, 1998 471-478
Ozone Alters the Expression of Tenascin-C in Cultured Primate
Nasal Epithelial Cells
Susan
Potter-Perigo,
Elizabeth D.
Kaplan,
Daniel L.
Luchtel,
Coralie
Baker,
Leonard C.
Altman,
and
Thomas N.
Wight
Departments of Pathology, Environmental Health, and Medicine and the Division of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Tenascin-C is an extracellular matrix component which is transiently expressed in association with epithelial cell detachment, proliferation, and migration. This molecule has been identified in respiratory tissue,
but little is known about the cellular source of tenascin-C or the factors that regulate its production. Since
air pollutants are known to disrupt epithelial integrity, we investigated the regulation of tenascin-C in response to 0.3 ppm ozone in differentiated primate nasal epithelial cells in culture at an air-medium interface. The expression of tenascin-C was upregulated in response to ozone, as determined by Northern blot
analysis, Western blotting, and immunofluorescent staining. In contrast, there was no change in the mRNA
levels for versican, biglycan, perlecan, or collagen type I. Reduced cellular attachment to the substrate was
evident in ozone-treated cultures in association with tenascin-C deposition at the interfaces between cells
and basal surfaces. The presence of tenascin-C on denuded areas of the matrix suggests that tenascin-C
may have been instrumental in the loss of patches of cells. The modulation of tenascin-C synthesis and distribution may play a significant role in the response of respiratory epithelial cells to ozone exposure.
