Expression of growth factor receptors, the focal adhesion kinase, and other tyrosine kinases in human soft tissue tumors

Human malignant fibrous histiocytomas in vitro: growth characteristics and their association with expression of mRNA for platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha and their receptors

Eight human malignant fibrous histiocytomas were examined in vitro, in order to relate their growth properties to mRNA expression for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), PDGF receptor (PDGF-R), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that all cell lines expressed mRNA for PDGF-R alpha and/or PDGF-R beta; six cell lines expressed mRNA for the PDGF-A chain, with one cell line coexpressing PDGF-B chain mRNA; seven cell lines expressed mRNA for TGF-alpha whereas six cell lines expressed EGF-R mRNA. Conditioned medium from three cell lines contained PDGF; none of the cell lines released TGF-alpha. Two cell lines grew without serum requirements; whereas both expressed mRNA for PDGF, PDGF-R, TGF-alpha and EGF-R, other cell lines, unable to grow without serum, showed the same combination of growth factor/growth factor receptor expression. The two cell lines able to grow without serum were also shown to be stimulated by the addition of PDGF-BB. These findings show that simultaneous expression of mRNA for a growth factor and its receptor does not necessarily imply an autocrine or paracrine loop. However, two of our cell lines fulfil the requirements of possible PDGF-related autocrine and paracrine regulation.

Caspases cleave focal adhesion kinase during apoptosis to generate a FRNK-like polypeptide

Focal adhesion kinase (Fak) is a non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinase that stimulates cell spreading and motility by promoting the formation of contact sites between the cell and the extracellular matrix (focal adhesions). It suppresses apoptosis by transducing survival signals that emanate from focal adhesions via the clustering of transmembrane integrins by components of the extracellular matrix. We demonstrate that Fak is cleaved by caspases at two distinct sites during apoptosis. The sites were mapped to DQTD772, which was preferentially cleaved by caspase-3, and VSWD704, which was preferentially cleaved by caspase-6 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-derived granzyme B. The cleavage of Fak during apoptosis separates the tyrosine kinase domain from the focal adhesion targeting (FAT) domain. The carboxyl-terminal fragments that are generated suppress phosphorylation of endogenous Fak and thus resemble a natural variant of Fak, FRNK, that inhibits Fak activity by preventing the localization of Fak to focal adhesions. The cleavage of Fak by caspases may thus play an important role in the execution of the suicide program by disabling the anti-apoptotic function of Fak. Interestingly, rodent Fak lacks an optimal caspase-3 consensus cleavage site although it is cleaved in murine cells undergoing apoptosis at an upstream site. This appears to be the first example of a caspase substrate where the cleavage sites are not conserved between species.

Assessing prognosis for high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas: search for a marker

BACKGROUND

Although improved staging technology, limb-sparing surgery, and adjunctive radiation and chemotherapy have improved the outlook for patients with malignant soft-tissue tumors of the trunk and extremities, it is evident that we cannot predict which patients will develop distant metastases. Although local control is now frequently achieved, most series of high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas carry a mortality rate of > 50%.

METHODS

In a retrospective study of 93 patients with high-grade sarcomas treated between 1986 and 1992 for whom complete studies including size and volume measurements and DNA ploidy determinations as assessed by flow cytometry were available, a search for a marker for increased risk of metastasis or death was performed.

RESULTS

Grade of the lesion, sex, diagnosis, anatomical site, ploidic data (including mean DNA index and presence of an aneuploid peak), and treatment factors (including type of surgery, local recurrence, or radiation protocol) did not correlate with outcome. Age (younger patients did better), size (greatest diameter) and volume, and positive margins at surgery correlated with total survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study, although negative, point out that using anatomical site, diagnosis, or ploidic analysis offers little toward anticipating outcome, whereas the size of the tumor is important.

Genistein-stimulated adherence of prostate cancer cells is associated with the binding of focal adhesion kinase to beta-1-integrin

The isoflavinoid genistein is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor which has been identified as a putative cancer prevention agent. Its consumption is associated with a low incidence of clinical metastatic prostate cancer in the face of a sustained high incidence of organ-confined prostate cancer. We therefore undertook studies to examine genistein's effect upon cell adhesion as one possible mechanism by which it could be acting as an antimetastatic agent. A morphogenic analysis revealed that genistein caused cell flattening in a variety of cell lines: PC3-M, PC3, and DU-145 prostate carcinoma cells, as well as MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. Mechanistic studies focused on the highly metastatic PC3-M cell line, and revealed that cell flattening was accompanied by an increase in cell adhesion. Further investigations demonstrated that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) accumulated in areas of focal cell attachment, and that this accumulation occurred only when cells were actively undergoing genistein-mediated morphologic change. Concurrent formation of a complex between the cell attachment molecule, beta-1-integrin, and FAK was shown to occur, and to correlate with transient activation of FAK activity. Genistein is presented as a novel investigative tool for use in the study of molecular events involved in the process of cell adhesion.

Autocrine growth stimulation of SW403 colon carcinoma cell line is caused by transforming-growth-factor-alpha-mediated epidermal growth factor receptor activation

Results of recent studies indicate that some cultured human carcinoma cell lines are capable of proliferating autonomously in serum-free medium as a result of the synthesis and secretion of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha). TGF alpha interacts with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and induces its activation. In an attempt to extend these observations, we evaluated TGF alpha-mediated autonomous growth and constitutive EGFR activation in the human adenocarcinoma cell line SW403. The cell line shows synthesis of EGF receptors and TGF alpha but not EGF, and exhibits constitutive phosphorylation of the 170-kDa EGFR. Use of blocking anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (mAb) inhibits autonomous growth of SW403 cells and leads to a significant reduction of receptor phosphorylation. The inhibitory effect of the blocking anti-EGFR mAb is reversible upon addition of TGF alpha. In contrast, autonomous proliferation of SW403 cells is not inhibited by addition of neutralizing anti-EGF mAb. Our findings suggest that the proliferation of cells of the human SW403 adenocarcinoma cell line is regulated by an autocrine TGF alpha loop and that this regulatory pathway can be interrupted by using anti-EGFR mAb.

Growth factor PDGF-B/v-sis confers a tumorigenic phenotype to human tumor cells bearing PDGF receptors but not to cells devoid of receptors: evidence for an autocrine, but not a paracrine, mechanism

Numerous established human tumor lines co-express platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and cognate receptors, suggesting that an autocrine and/or paracrine growth mechanism may be a causal or contributing mechanism to their transformed phenotype. Indeed, it is known that a PDGF-autocrine system is functional in several established tumor lines, especially in human gliomas, and a model for a functional paracrine mechanism has been established in a human melanoma line. However, at least 168 human cell lines representing 26 different human tumor types have been reported to continuously express PDGF-A and/or -B chains, and 55 of these also express PDGF receptors. For the majority of these cases, the significance of co-expression and the relative roles of autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in transformation remains unclear. Here, we show that human glioblastoma T98G cells co-express PDGF-B/c-sis and moderate levels of the cognate beta-type PDGF receptor (PR-beta) but are not tumorigenic in athymic mice. In contrast, human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells do not express PR-beta and are tumorigenic. Clonal lines of each cell type with greatly increased secretion of p16w(T98Gsis and MCF-7sis cells) were characterized. T98Gsis cells are 85% tumorigenic and occasionally develop pulmonary metastases, showing that endogenous PR-beta can mediate complete transformation upon sufficient stimulation. In contrast, MCF-7sis cells exhibit some growth slowing in vitro and an exactly proportional decrease in tumor growth rate. We conclude that a PDGF-autocrine, and not a paracrine, mechanism best accounts for the acquired tumorigenicity of T98Gsis cells, thereby emphasizing the potential significance of expression of even moderate levels of PR-beta by human tumor cells.

Focal adhesion kinase as a marker of invasive potential in differentiated human thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND

The FAK gene encodes a 125-kDa tyrosine kinase (p125FAK) involved in signal transduction pathways used in cell adhesion, motility, and anchorage-independent growth. Because thyroid carcinomas have a wide variability in their propensity for invasion and metastasis, we studied the expression of FAK in a variety of thyroid tissues.

METHODS

We synthesized a recombinant N-terminal fragment of the human FAK protein and developed a specific polyclonal antisera. Using Western blot analysis, we assessed the levels of p125FAK expression in 30 human thyroid tissue samples from 27 patients that included paired normal and malignant specimens. Levels of FAK protein in individual tumors were quantitated by densitometric scanning of the immunoblots, and the results were correlated with tumor histology and biologic behavior.

RESULTS

The levels of FAK expression were directly correlated with thyroid carcinomas demonstrating the most aggressive phenotypes. The highest levels of p125FAK were seen in follicular carcinomas and tumors associated with distant metastatic foci. In contrast, neoplastic thyroid tissues with limited invasive potential, such as papillary carcinomas, follicular adenomas, and other nonmalignant thyroid lesions, showed minimal p125FAX expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of FAK may be part of a mechanism for invasion and metastasis of thyroid cancer. Furthermore, the levels of p125FAK may serve as a marker of biologic behavior in this disease.

Receptor tyrosine kinases expressed in metastatic colon cancer

Using a PCR-based cloning technique, we have isolated a series of DNA fragments coding for tyrosine kinases that are expressed in a metastatic human colon tumor, and have subsequently analyzed their expression pattern at the protein level in human tumors. We identified both the alpha and the beta forms of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), axl and 8 other genes, including 3 cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases. To study their expression in human colon cancer, we performed Western blots of matched sets of normal tissues and of carcinomas from the same patient. These revealed that the alpha-PDGFR migrates predominantly as a 200-kDa band in 8/8 normal tissues, and as a 170-kDa band in 17/17 malignant tissues, as well as in colonic polyps, suggesting that expression of an isoform of this receptor may be a marker for the progression of colon cancer. Additional studies showed that the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase was expressed at 10-fold higher levels in a peritoneal metastatic nodule than in other normal and malignant tissues. Immunohistochemistry revealed Axl over-expression specifically in the malignant cells of the tumor. This indicates that over-expression and possibly a differential processing event of tyrosine kinase receptors may be involved in colon cancer, and that they are potential markers for the progression of this disease.