Lipoprotein p37 from Mycoplasma hyorhinis inhibiting mammalian cell adhesion.

p37 protein is a membrane lipoprotein of Mycoplasma hyorhinis, and our previous work showed that there was high ratio of M. hyorhinis infection in human gastric carcinoma. To investigate the possible functions of p37 in cancer development, the nucleotide sequence of p37 gene was modified and expressed well in transfected cells. We found that p37 localized at the Golgi apparatus and could be secreted out of the cell. Human gastric cancer cells AGS, after being transfected with the p37 gene, were smaller, more spherical and easy to detach from each other. Their adhesion to matrix was also diminished and cytoskeleton in these stable p37 AGS cell was rearranged and transcription co-factor beta-actin was transferred to nucleolus with down-regulation of ICAM-1 and integrin beta1. These findings will be helpful for us to elucidate the effects of p37 on eukaryotic cells as well as to better understand the potential relationship between cancer and mycoplasma infection.