Comparison of protein expression profiles between monolayer and spheroid cell culture of HT-29 cells revealed fragmentation of CK18 in three-dimensional cell culture

The use of three-dimensional cell culture models, so-called multicellular tumor spheroids, is a special approach in experimental cancer research, because spheroids are similar to in vivo tumors in structural as well as functional sense. Cells grown in spheroids exhibit alterations of cell cycle regulation, induction of apoptosis and differentiation and can acquire multidrug resistance. In this study we investigated the protein expression in human colorectal cancer cells grown in monolayer and in spheroid cultures using proteomics. Evaluation by computer-assisted image analysis revealed overexpression of three cytokeratin 18 fragments that were generated in vivo. Cytokeratin 18 has previously been described as a target for caspase-mediated cleavage during apoptosis and our results indicate that apoptosis may take place in spheroids. Other proteins upregulated in spheroids include calreticulin precursor, a rho GDP dissociation inhibitor variant, several cytokeratins and peroxiredoxin 4. Some of these proteins have already been linked to chemoresistance and apoptotic phenomena.