Targeted DNA oxidation by LSD1-SMAD2/3 primes TGF-ß1/ EMT genes for activation or repression.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex transcriptional program induced by transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1). Histone lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) has been recognized as a key mediator of EMT in cancer cells, but the precise mechanism that underlies the activation and repression of EMT genes still remains elusive. Here, we characterized the early events induced by TGF-ß1 during EMT initiation and establishment. TGF-ß1 triggered, 30-90 min post-treatment, a nuclear oxidative wave throughout the genome, documented by confocal microscopy and mass spectrometry, mediated by LSD1. LSD1 was recruited with phosphorylated SMAD2/3 to the promoters of prototypic genes activated and repressed by TGF-ß1. After 90 min, phospho-SMAD2/3 downregulation reduced the complex and LSD1 was then recruited with the newly synthesized SNAI1 and repressors, NCoR1 and HDAC3, to the promoters of TGF-ß1-repressed genes such as the Wnt soluble inhibitor factor 1 gene (WIF1), a change that induced a late oxidative burst. However, TGF-ß1 early (90 min) repression of transcription also required synchronous signaling by reactive oxygen species and the stress-activated kinase c-Jun N-terminal kinase. These data elucidate the early events elicited by TGF-ß1 and the priming role of DNA oxidation that marks TGF-ß1-induced and -repressed genes involved in the EMT.

Stromal-induced downregulation of miR-1247 promotes prostate cancer malignancy.

Cancer progression is strictly dependent on the relationship between tumor cells and the surrounding stroma, which supports cancer malignancy promoting several crucial steps of tumor progression, including the execution of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated with enhancement in cell invasion, resistance to both anoikis and chemotherapeutic treatments. Recently it has been highlighted the central role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as regulators of tumor progression. Notably, in several tumors a strong deregulation of miRNAs is observed, supporting proliferation, invasion, and metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells. Here we demonstrated that cancer-associated fibroblasts induce a downregulation of miR-1247 in prostate cancer (PCa) cells. We proved that miR-1247 repression is functional for the achievement of EMT and increased cell invasion as well as stemness traits. These phenomena contribute to promote the metastatic potential of PCa cells as demonstrated by increased lung colonization in in vivo experiments. Moreover, as a consequence of miR-1247 downregulation, we observed a correlated increased expression level of neuropilin-1, a miR-1247 target involved as a coreceptor in the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling. Taken together, our data highlight miR-1247 as a potential target for molecular therapies aimed to block the progression and diffusion of PCa.

Morin-dependent inhibition of low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) restores sensitivity to apoptosis during colon carcinogenesis: Studies in vitro and in vivo, in an Apc-driven model of colon cancer.

LMW-PTP has been associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) and with the resistance to chemotherapy in cancer cells. To clarify its role in vivo, we studied LMW-PTP expression in Pirc rats (F344/NTac-Apc am1137 ), genetically prone to CRC and resistant to apoptosis. In the morphologically normal mucosa (NM) of Pirc rats, a dramatic over-expression of LMW-PTP was found compared to wt rats (about 60 times higher). Moreover, LMW-PTP levels further increase in spontaneously developed Pirc colon tumors. To understand if and how LMW-PTP affects resistance to apoptosis, we studied CRC cell lines, sensitive (HT29 and HCT-116), or resistant (HT29R, HCT116R) to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU): resistant cells over-express LMW-PTP. When resistant cells were challenged with morin, a polyphenol inhibiting LMW-PTP, a fast and dose-related down-regulation of LMW-PTP was observed. 5-FU and morin co-treatment dramatically decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis, and significantly impaired self-renewal ability of all the cancer cell lines we have studied. Similarly, we observed that, in Pirc rats, one-week morin administration (50 mg/kg) down-regulated LMW-PTP and restored the apoptotic response to 5-FU in the NM. Finally, administration of morin for a longer period led to a significant reduction in colon precancerous lesions, together with a down-regulation of LMW-PTP. Taken together, these results document the involvement of LMW-PTP in the process of CRC in vitro and in vivo. Morin treatment may be envisaged as a system to increase the sensitivity to chemotherapy and to prevent carcinogenesis.

LMW-PTP targeting potentiates the effects of drugs used in chronic lymphocytic leukemia therapy.

BACKGROUND: Low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) is overexpressed in different cancer types and its expression is related to more aggressive disease, reduced survival rate and drug resistance. Morin is a natural polyphenol which negatively modulates, among others, the activity of LMW-PTP, leading to the potentiation of the effects of different antitumoral drugs, representing a potential beneficial treatment against cancer. METHODS: LMW-PTP levels were measured by immunoblot analysis both in CLL cells from patients and in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)-derived Mec-1 cells. Cell viability was assessed in Mec-1 cells treated with morin alone or in combination with either fludarabine or ibrutinib or following siRNA-mediated LMW-PTP knockdown. Furthermore, the expression levels of VLA-4 and CXCR4 were assessed by both qRT-PCR and flow cytometry and both adhesion to fibronectin-coated plates and migration toward CXCL12 were analyzed in Mec-1 cells treated with morin alone or in combination with fludarabine or ibrutinib. RESULTS: We observed that LMW-PTP is highly expressed in Mec-1 cells as well as in leukemic B lymphocytes purified from CLL patients compared to normal B lymphocytes. Morin treatment strongly decreased LMW-PTP expression levels in Mec-1 cells and potentiated the anticancer properties of both fludarabine and ibrutinib by increasing their apoptotic effects on leukemic cells. Moreover, morin negatively regulates adhesion and CXCL12-dependent migration of Mec-1 cells by affecting VLA-4 integrin expression and CXCR4 receptor recycling. CONCLUSIONS: Morin treatment in CLL-derived Mec-1 cell line synergizes with conventional anticancer drugs currently used in CLL therapy by affecting leukemic cell viability and trafficking.

Metabolic Features of Tumor Dormancy: Possible Therapeutic Strategies.

Tumor relapse represents one of the main obstacles to cancer treatment. Many patients experience cancer relapse even decades from the primary tumor eradication, developing more aggressive and metastatic disease. This phenomenon is associated with the emergence of dormant cancer cells, characterized by cell cycle arrest and largely insensitive to conventional anti-cancer therapies. These rare and elusive cells may regain proliferative abilities upon the induction of cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors, thus fueling tumor re-growth and metastasis formation. The molecular mechanisms underlying the maintenance of resistant dormant cells and their awakening are intriguing but, currently, still largely unknown. However, increasing evidence recently underlined a strong dependency of cell cycle progression to metabolic adaptations of cancer cells. Even if dormant cells are frequently characterized by a general metabolic slowdown and an increased ability to cope with oxidative stress, different factors, such as extracellular matrix composition, stromal cells influence, and nutrient availability, may dictate specific changes in dormant cells, finally resulting in tumor relapse. The main topic of this review is deciphering the role of the metabolic pathways involved in tumor cells dormancy to provide new strategies for selectively targeting these cells to prevent fatal recurrence and maximize therapeutic benefit.

SHMT2-mediated mitochondrial serine metabolism drives 5-FU resistance by fueling nucleotide biosynthesis.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a key component of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer (CRC). 5-FU efficacy is established by intracellular levels of folate cofactors and DNA damage repair strategies. However, drug resistance still represents a major challenge. Here, we report that alterations in serine metabolism affect 5-FU sensitivity in in vitro and in vivo CRC models. In particular, 5-FU-resistant CRC cells display a strong serine dependency achieved either by upregulating endogenous serine synthesis or increasing exogenous serine uptake. Importantly, regardless of the serine feeder strategy, serine hydroxymethyltransferase-2 (SHMT2)-driven compartmentalization of one-carbon metabolism inside the mitochondria represents a specific adaptation of resistant cells to support purine biosynthesis and potentiate DNA damage response. Interfering with serine availability or affecting its mitochondrial metabolism revert 5-FU resistance. These data disclose a relevant mechanism of mitochondrial serine use supporting 5-FU resistance in CRC and provide perspectives for therapeutic approaches.

Therapy-Induced Stromal Senescence Promoting Aggressiveness of Prostate and Ovarian Cancer.

Cancer progression is supported by the cross-talk between tumor cells and the surrounding stroma. In this context, senescent cells in the tumor microenvironment contribute to the development of a pro-inflammatory milieu and the acquisition of aggressive traits by cancer cells. Anticancer treatments induce cellular senescence (therapy-induced senescence, TIS) in both tumor and non-cancerous cells, contributing to many detrimental side effects of therapies. Thus, we focused on the effects of chemotherapy on the stromal compartment of prostate and ovarian cancer. We demonstrated that anticancer chemotherapeutics, regardless of their specific mechanism of action, promote a senescent phenotype in stromal fibroblasts, resulting in metabolic alterations and secretion of paracrine factors, sustaining the invasive and clonogenic potential of both prostate and ovarian cancer cells. The clearance of senescent stromal cells, through senolytic drug treatment, reverts the malignant phenotype of tumor cells. The clinical relevance of TIS was validated in ovarian and prostate cancer patients, highlighting increased accumulation of lipofuscin aggregates, a marker of the senescent phenotype, in the stromal compartment of tissues from chemotherapy-treated patients. These data provide new insights into the potential efficacy of combining traditional anticancer strategies with innovative senotherapy to potentiate anticancer treatments and overcome the adverse effects of chemotherapy.

Claisened Hexafluoro Inhibits Metastatic Spreading of Amoeboid Melanoma Cells.

Metastatic melanoma is characterized by poor prognosis and a low free-survival rate. Thanks to their high plasticity, melanoma cells are able to migrate exploiting different cell motility strategies, such as the rounded/amoeboid-type motility and the elongated/mesenchymal-type motility. In particular, the amoeboid motility strongly contributes to the dissemination of highly invasive melanoma cells and no treatment targeting this process is currently available for clinical application. Here, we tested Claisened Hexafluoro as a novel inhibitor of the amoeboid motility. Reported data demonstrate that Claisened Hexafluoro specifically inhibits melanoma cells moving through amoeboid motility by deregulating mitochondrial activity and activating the AMPK signaling. Moreover, Claisened Hexafluoro is able to interfere with the adhesion abilities and the stemness features of melanoma cells, thus decreasing the in vivo metastatic process. This evidence may contribute to pave the way for future possible therapeutic applications of Claisened Hexafluoro to counteract metastatic melanoma dissemination.

Kinase-dependent and -independent roles of EphA2 in the regulation of prostate cancer invasion and metastasis.

Ligand-activated Eph tyrosine kinases regulate cellular repulsion, morphology, adhesion, and motility. EphA2 kinase is frequently up-regulated in several different types of cancers, including prostate, breast, colon, and lung carcinomas, as well as in melanoma. The existing data do not clarify whether EphA2 receptor phosphorylation or its simple overexpression, which likely leads to Eph kinase-independent responses, plays a role in the progression of malignant prostate cancer. In this study, we address the role of EphA2 tyrosine phosphorylation in prostate carcinoma cell adhesion, motility, invasion, and formation of metastases. Tumor cells expressing kinase-deficient EphA2 mutants, as well as an EphA2 variant lacking the cytoplasmic domain, are defective in ephrinA1-mediated cell rounding, retraction fiber formation, de-adhesion from the extracellular matrix, RhoA and Rac1 GTPase regulation, three-dimensional matrix invasion, and in vivo metastasis, suggesting a key role for EphA2 kinase activity. Nevertheless, EphA2 regulation of cell motility and invasion, as well as the formation of bone and visceral tumor colonies, reveals a component of both EphA2 kinase-dependent and -independent features. These results uncover a differential requirement for EphA2 kinase activity in the regulation of prostate carcinoma metastasis outcome, suggesting that although the kinase activity of EphA2 is required for the regulation of cell adhesion and cytoskeletal rearrangement, some distinct kinase-dependent and -independent pathways likely cooperate to drive cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis outcome.

Oncogenic Tyrosine Phosphatases: Novel Therapeutic Targets for Melanoma Treatment.

Despite a large number of therapeutic options available, malignant melanoma remains a highly fatal disease, especially in its metastatic forms. The oncogenic role of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) is becoming increasingly clear, paving the way for novel antitumor treatments based on their inhibition. In this review, we present the oncogenic PTPs contributing to melanoma progression and we provide, where available, a description of new inhibitory strategies designed against these enzymes and possibly useful in melanoma treatment. Considering the relevance of the immune infiltrate in supporting melanoma progression, we also focus on the role of PTPs in modulating immune cell activity, identifying interesting therapeutic options that may support the currently applied immunomodulating approaches. Collectively, this information highlights the value of going further in the development of new strategies targeting oncogenic PTPs to improve the efficacy of melanoma treatment.

Role of tyrosine phosphorylation in modulating cancer cell metabolism.

In mammalian cells, tyrosine phosphorylation is one of the main mechanisms responsible for regulating signal transduction pathways and key cellular functions. Moreover, recent studies demonstrated that tyrosine phosphorylation influences the activity of some metabolic enzymes, even if it remains to be clarified whether tyrosine phosphorylation can be considered a general mechanism involving most of the metabolic enzymes or only a subset of these. To elucidate this aspect, we conducted a two-step analysis. First, we analyzed literature to identify all the metabolic enzymes whose activity is affected by tyrosine phosphorylation. Second, we crossed these data with those obtained from the PhosphoSitePlus database analysis. Collected information was used to depict an exhaustive map showing the real spread of tyrosine phosphorylation among metabolic enzymes. In summary, data reported in this review highlight that tyrosine phosphorylation is not a sporadic event but a widespread post-translational modification, which is essential to promote the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells.

Reactive oxygen species as essential mediators of cell adhesion: the oxidative inhibition of a FAK tyrosine phosphatase is required for cell adhesion.

Signal transduction by reactive oxygen species (ROS; "redox signaling") has recently come into focus in cellular biology studies. The signaling properties of ROS are largely due to the reversible oxidation of redox-sensitive target proteins, and especially of protein tyrosine phosphatases, whose activity is dependent on the redox state of a low pKa active site cysteine. A variety of mitogenic signals, including those released by receptor tyrosine kinase (RTKs) ligands and oncogenic H-Ras, involve as a critical downstream event the intracellular generation of ROS. Signaling by integrins is also essential for the growth of most cell types and is constantly integrated with growth factor signaling. We provide here evidence that intracellular ROS are generated after integrin engagement and that these oxidant intermediates are necessary for integrin signaling during fibroblast adhesion and spreading. Moreover, we propose a synergistic action of integrins and RTKs for redox signaling. Integrin-induced ROS are required to oxidize/inhibit the low molecular weight phosphotyrosine phosphatase, thereby preventing the enzyme from dephosphorylating and inactivating FAK. Accordingly, FAK phosphorylation and other downstream events, including MAPK phosphorylation, Src phosphorylation, focal adhesion formation, and cell spreading, are all significantly attenuated by inhibition of redox signaling. Hence, we have outlined a redox circuitry whereby, upon cell adhesion, oxidative inhibition of a protein tyrosine phosphatase promotes the phosphorylation/activation and the downstream signaling of FAK and, as a final event, cell adhesion and spreading onto fibronectin.

Site-directed mutagenesis of two aromatic residues lining the active site pocket of the yeast Ltp1.

We mutated Trp(134) and Tyr(135) of the yeast LMW-PTP to explore their catalytic roles, demonstrating that the mutations of Trp(134) to Tyr or Ala, and Tyr(135) to Ala, all interfere with the formation of the phosphorylenzyme intermediate, a phenomenon that can be seen by the decrease in the kinetic constant of the chemical step (k(3)). Furthermore, we noted that the Trp(134) to Ala mutation causes a dramatic drop in k(cat)/K(m) and a slight enhancement of the dissociation constant K(s). The conservative mutant W134Y shows a k(cat)/K(m) very close to that of wild type, probably compensating the two-fold decrease of k(3) with an increase in substrate affinity. The Y135A mutation enhances the substrate affinity, but reduces the enzyme phosphorylation rate. The replacement of Trp(134) with alanine interferes with the partition between phosphorylenzyme hydrolysis and phosphotransfer from the phosphorylenzyme to glycerol and abolish the enzyme activation by adenine. Finally, we found that mutation of Trp(134) to Ala causes a dramatic change in the pH-rate profile that becomes similar to that of the D132A mutant, suggesting that an aromatic residue in position 134 is necessary to assist the proper positioning of the proton donor in the transition state of the chemical step.

The expression of low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase is up-regulated in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon tumours in rats.

Recent studies have assessed the role of low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) in cell transformation and tumour onset and progression, observing a significant increase in the expression of LMW-PTP mRNA and protein in human breast, colon, bladder and kidney tumour samples. Moreover, its enhanced expression is generally prognostic of a more aggressive cancer. To better understand the role of this protein during colon carcinogenesis and to study whether its overexpression is also observed in earlier phases of carcinogenesis, we studied its expression in colon tumours, induced in rats by treatment with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), an animal model that resemble the sequential formation of histopathological lesions of spontaneous carcinogenesis in humans. The results show a significant increase in LMW-PTP expression in adenocarcinomas, suggesting that this phenomenon is associated with the onset of malignancy. Moreover a significant overexpression of LMW-PTP transcript is associated with tumours originating in the proximal (right) part of the colon, confirming an observation already reported for human colon cancer.

Intracellular reactive oxygen species activate Src tyrosine kinase during cell adhesion and anchorage-dependent cell growth.

Src tyrosine kinases are central components of adhesive responses and are required for cell spreading onto the extracellular matrix. Among other intracellular messengers elicited by integrin ligation are reactive oxygen species, which act as synergistic mediators of cytoskeleton rearrangement and cell spreading. We report that after integrin ligation, the tyrosine kinase Src is oxidized and activated. Src displays an early activation phase, concurrent with focal adhesion formation and driven mainly by Tyr527 dephosphorylation, and a late phase, concomitant with reactive oxygen species production, cell spreading, and integrin-elicited kinase oxidation. In addition, our results suggest that reactive oxygen species are key mediators of in vitro and in vivo v-Src tumorigenic properties, as both antioxidant treatments and the oxidant-insensitive C245A and C487A Src mutants greatly decrease invasivity, serum-independent and anchorage-independent growth, and tumor onset. Therefore we propose that, in addition to the known phosphorylation/dephosphorylation circuitry, redox regulation of Src activity is required during both cell attachment to the extracellular matrix and tumorigenesis.

LMW-PTP modulates glucose metabolism in cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Low Molecular Weight Phosphotyrosine Protein Phosphatase (LMW-PTP) is an enzyme involved not only in tumor onset and progression but also in type 2 diabetes. A recent review shows that LMW-PTP acts on several RTK (receptor tyrosine kinase) such as PDGFR, EGFR, EphA2, Insulin receptor. It is well described also its interaction with cSrc. It is noteworthy that most of these conclusions are based on the use of cell lines expressing low levels of LMW-PTP. The aim of the present study was to discover new LMW-PTP substrates in aggressive human tumors where the over-expression of this phosphatase is a common feature. METHODS: We investigated, by proteomic analysis, the protein phosphorylation pattern of A375 human melanoma cells silenced for LMW-PTP. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis, followed by western blot was performed using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, in order to identify differentially phosphorylated proteins. RESULTS: Proteomic analysis pointed out that most of the identified proteins belong to the glycolytic metabolism, such as α-enolase, pyruvate kinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and triosephosphate isomerase, suggesting an involvement of LMW-PTP in glucose metabolism. Assessment of lactate production and oxygen consumption demonstrated that LMW-PTP silencing enhances glycolytic flux and slow down the oxidative metabolism. In particular, LMW-PTP expression affects PKM2 tyrosine-phosphorylation and nuclear localization, modulating its activity. CONCLUSION: All these findings propose that tumor cells are subjected to metabolic reprogramming after LMW-PTP silencing, enhancing glycolytic flux, probably to compensate the inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our results highlight the involvement of LMW-PTP in regulating glucose metabolism in A375 melanoma cells.

Targeting LMW-PTP to sensitize melanoma cancer cells toward chemo- and radiotherapy.

Tumor resistance to apoptosis is one the main causes of anticancer treatment failure. Previous studies showed that LMW-PTP overexpression enhances resistance of cancer cells to traditional anticancer drugs. Today, the role of LMW-PTP in inducing resistance to apoptosis in melanoma cells remains to be elucidated. Experimental setting include MTT assay, Annexin V/Pi method, and colony assay to assess whether silencing of LMW-PTP improves the sensitivity of A375 to dacarbazine, 5-FU, and radiotherapy. Pharmacological targeting of LMW-PTP was obtained using Morin, a LMW-PTP inhibitor. The ability of Morin to improve the effectiveness of anticancer drugs and radiotherapy was also studied. Moreover, PC3 cells were used as an alternative cellular model to confirm the data obtained with melanoma cells. We found that LMW-PTP silencing improves the effectiveness of dacarbazine, 5-FU, and radiotherapy. Identical results were obtained in vivo when Morin was used to target LMW-PTP. We demonstrated that Morin synergizes with dacarbazine, improving its cytotoxic activity. However, we showed that the combined treatment, Morin-anticancer drug, does not affect the viability of noncancerous cells. Knockdown of LMW-PTP sensitizes also PC3 cells to docetaxel and radiotherapy. In conclusion, we showed that LMW-PTP targeting improves effectiveness of anticancer drugs used for treatment of melanoma. Moreover, our results suggest that Morin could be used as adjuvant to improve the outcome of patients affected by metastatic melanoma.

Integrin-mediated cell adhesion and spreading engage different sources of reactive oxygen species.

The tightly regulated production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) participates in several biologic processes such as cellular growth, programmed cell death, senescence, and adhesion. It is increasingly evident that the same enzymatic processes that were originally linked to ROS generation during host defence or apoptosis execution are also involved in redox-mediated signal transduction. We investigated in murine NIH3T3 fibroblasts the contribution of a variety of redox-dependent events during signal transduction initiated by integrin engagement due to fibronectin stimulation and report that a mitochondrial ROS release occurs, strictly confined to the early phase of extracellular matrix (ECM) contact (10 min). Besides, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) is engaged by integrin receptor ligation as another ROS source, contributing to the more-intense, second ROS burst (45 min), possibly orchestrating the spreading of cells in response to ECM contact. To define a potential mechanism for ROS signaling, we demonstrate that on integrin recruitment, the Src homology-2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP-2) undergoes a reversible oxidization/inactivation to which mitochondrial and 5-lipoxygenase ROS contribute differentially. In keeping with a key role of oxidants during integrin signaling, the inactivation of SHP-2 prevents the dephosphorylation and inactivation of SHP-2 substrates (p125FAK and SHPS-1), thus enabling the continued propagation of the signal arising by integrin engagement.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae an unbalanced level of tyrosine phosphorylation down-regulates the Ras/PKA pathway.

The role of tyrosyl phosphorylation/dephosphorylation in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whose genome does not encode typical tyrosine kinases, has long remained elusive. Nevertheless, several protein kinases phosphorylating poly(TyrGlu) substrates have been identified. In this work, we use the expression of the low molecular weight tyrosine phosphatase Stp1 from the distantly related yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, as a tool to investigate whether an unbalanced level of protein tyrosine phosphorylation affects S. cerevisiae growth and metabolism. We correlate the previously reported down-regulation of the phosphotyrosine level brought about by overexpression of Stp1 with a large number of phenotypes indicative of down-regulation of the Ras pathway. These phenotypes include reduction in both glucose- and acidification-induced GTP loading of the Ras2 protein and cAMP signaling, impaired growth on a non-fermentable carbon source, alteration of cell cycle parameters, delayed recovery from nitrogen starvation, increased heat-shock resistance, attenuated pseudohyphal and invasive growth. Genetic data suggest that Stp1 acts either at, or above, the level of Ras2, possibly on the Ira proteins. Consistently, Stp1 was found to bind to immunoprecipitated Ira2. Since a catalytically inactive mutant form of Stp1 (Stp1(C11S)) effectively binds to Ira2 without producing any effect on yeast physiology, we conclude that down-regulation of the Ras pathway by Stp1 requires its phosphatase activity. In conclusion, our data suggest a possible cross-talk between tyrosine phosphorylation and the Ras pathway in yeast.

Beta-catenin interacts with low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatase leading to cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion increase.

Beta-catenin plays a dual role as a major constituent of cadherin-based adherens junctions and also as a transcriptional coactivator. In normal ephitelial cells, at adherens junction level, beta-catenin links cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton. The structure of adherens junctions is dynamically regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. In particular, cell-cell adhesion can be negatively regulated through the tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-catenin. Furthermore, the loss of beta-catenin-cadherin association has been correlated with the transition from a benign tumor to an invasive, metastatic cancer. Low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) is a ubiquitous PTP implicated in the regulation of mitosis and cytoskeleton rearrangement. Here we demonstrate that the amount of free cytoplasmic beta-catenin is decreased in NIH3T3, which overexpresses active LMW-PTP, and this results in a stronger association between cadherin complexes and the actin-based cytoskeleton with respect to control cells. Confocal microscopy analysis shows that beta-catenin colocalizes with LMW-PTP at the plasma membrane. Furthermore, we provide evidence that beta-catenin is able to associate with LMW-PTP both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, overexpression of active LMW-PTP strongly potentiates cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion, whereas a dominant-negative form of LMW-PTP induces the opposite phenotype, both in NIH3T3 and in MCF-7 carcinoma cells. On the basis of these results, we propose that the stability of cell-cell contacts at the adherens junction level is positively influenced by LMW-PTP expression, mainly because of the beta-catenin and LMW-PTP interaction at the plasma membrane level with consequent dephosphorylation.