Glycosaminoglycan-modified proteoglycans play important roles in many cell activities, including cell differentiation and stem cell development. Tumor sphere formation ability is one of properties in cancer stem cells (CSCs). The correlation between CSC markers and proteoglycan remains to be clarified. Upon hepatoma sphere formation, expression of CSC markers CD13, CD90, CD133, and CD44, as well the syndecan family protein syndecan-1 (SDC1), increased as analyzed by PCR. Further examination by suppression of CD13 expression showed downregulation of SDC1 and CD44 gene expression, whereas suppression of SDC1 gene expression downregulated CD13 and CD44 gene expression. Suppression of SDC1 gene expression also suppressed sphere development, as analyzed by a novel sphereocrit assay to quantify the level of sphere formation. The heparin disaccharide components, but not those of chondroitin disaccharide, changed with hepatoma sphere development, revealing the increased levels of N-sulfation and 2-O-sulfation. These explained the inhibition of hepatoma sphere formation by exogenous heparin. In conclusion, we found that SDC1 affected CSC marker CD13 and CD44 expression. SDC1 proteoglycan and heparin components changed and affected hepatoma sphere development. Application of heparin mimics in reduction of hepatoma stem cells might be possible.

中文翻译：

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syndecan-1和外源肝素在肝癌球形成中的作用。

糖胺聚糖修饰的蛋白聚糖在许多细胞活动中起重要作用，包括细胞分化和干细胞发育。肿瘤球形成能力是癌症干细胞（CSC）的特性之一。CSC标记物与蛋白聚糖之间的相关性尚待阐明。肝癌球形成后，CSC标记CD13，CD90，CD133和CD44以及syndecan家族蛋白syndecan-1（SDC1）的表达均通过PCR进行了分析。通过抑制CD13表达的进一步检查显示出SDC1和CD44基因表达的下调，而抑制SDC1基因表达则下调CD13和CD44基因的表达。SDC1基因表达的抑制也抑制了球体的发育，这是通过一种新颖的球体比色法分析来量化球体形成的水平而进行的。肝素二糖的成分，而非软骨素二糖的成分，随肝癌球体的发展而变化，显示出N-硫酸化和2-O-硫酸化的水平增加。这些解释了外源肝素对肝癌球形成的抑制作用。总之，我们发现SDC1影响CSC标记CD13和CD44表达。SDC1蛋白聚糖和肝素成分改变并影响肝癌球的发展。肝素模拟物在减少肝癌干细胞中的应用可能是可能的。SDC1蛋白聚糖和肝素成分改变并影响肝癌球的发展。肝素模拟物在减少肝癌干细胞中的应用可能是可能的。SDC1蛋白聚糖和肝素成分改变并影响肝癌球的发展。肝素模拟物在减少肝癌干细胞中的应用可能是可能的。