RESUMO
Wnt signaling dysregulation promotes tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated the role of PTPRF, a receptor-type tyrosine phosphatase, in regulating Wnt signaling in CRC. Knockdown of PTPRF decreased cell proliferation in patient-derived primary colon cancer cells and established CRC cell lines. In addition, the rate of proliferation as well as colony formation ability were significantly decreased in tumor organoids grown in 3D, whereas the number of differentiated tumor organoids were markedly increased. Consistently, knockdown of PTPRF resulted in a decrease in the expression of genes associated with cancer stem cells downstream of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Treating PTPRF knockdown cells with GSK3 inhibitor rescued the expression of Wnt target genes suggesting that PTPRF functions upstream of the ß-catenin destruction complex. PTPRF was found to interact with LRP6 and silencing PTPRF largely decreased the activation of LRP6. Interestingly, this PTPRF-mediated activation of Wnt signaling was blocked in cells treated with clathrin endocytosis inhibitor. Furthermore, knockdown of PTPRF inhibited xenograft tumor growth in vivo and decreased the expression of Wnt target genes. Taken together, our studies identify a novel role of PTPRF as an oncogenic protein phosphatase in supporting the activation of Wnt signaling in CRC.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese/patologia , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Proteínas Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Tirosina Fosfatases Classe 2 Semelhantes a Receptores/metabolismo , Via de Sinalização Wnt , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Técnicas de Silenciamento de Genes , Humanos , Camundongos , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Proteínas Oncogênicas/genética , Proteínas Tirosina Fosfatases Classe 2 Semelhantes a Receptores/genética , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
Erbin belongs to the LAP (leucine-rich repeat and PDZ domain) family of scaffolding proteins that plays important roles in orchestrating cell signaling. Here, we show that Erbin functions as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer. Analysis of Erbin expression in colorectal cancer patient specimens revealed that Erbin was downregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in tumor tissues. Knockdown of Erbin disrupted epithelial cell polarity and increased cell proliferation in 3D culture. In addition, silencing Erbin resulted in increased amplitude and duration of signaling through Akt and RAS/RAF pathways. Erbin loss induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which coincided with a significant increase in cell migration and invasion. Erbin interacted with kinase suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1) and displaced it from the RAF/MEK/ERK complex to prevent signal propagation. Furthermore, genetic deletion of Erbin in Apc knockout mice promoted tumorigenesis and significantly reduced survival. Tumor organoids derived from Erbin/Apc double knockout mice displayed increased tumor initiation potential and activation of Wnt signaling. Results from gene set enrichment analysis revealed that Erbin expression associated positively with the E-cadherin adherens junction pathway and negatively with Wnt signaling in human colorectal cancer. Taken together, our study identifies Erbin as a negative regulator of tumor initiation and progression by suppressing Akt and RAS/RAF signaling in vivoSignificance: These findings establish the scaffold protein Erbin as a negative regulator of EMT and tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer through direct suppression of Akt and RAS/RAF signaling. Cancer Res; 78(17); 4839-52. ©2018 AACR.
