c-Met-induced epithelial carcinogenesis is initiated by the serine protease matriptase

Extracellular: Plasma Membrane Proteases – Serine Proteases

Membrane-anchored serine proteases are a group of extracellular serine proteases tethered directly to plasma membranes, via a C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol linkage (GPI-anchored), a C-terminal transmembrane domain (Type I), or an N-terminal transmembrane domain (Type II). A variety of biochemical, cellular, and in vivo studies have established that these proteases are important pericellular contributors to processes vital for the maintenance of homeostasis, including food digestion, blood pressure regulation, hearing, epithelial permeability, sperm maturation, and iron homeostasis. These enzymes are hijacked by viruses to facilitate infection and propagation, and their misregulation is associated with a wide range of diseases, including cancer malignancy.

Matriptase promotes inflammatory cell accumulation and progression of established epidermal tumors

Deregulation of matriptase is a consistent feature of human epithelial cancers and correlates with poor disease outcome. We have previously shown that matriptase promotes multi-stage squamous cell carcinogenesis in transgenic mice through dual activation of pro-hepatocyte growth factor-cMet-Akt-mTor proliferation/survival signaling and PAR-2-Gαi-NFκB inflammatory signaling. Matriptase was congenitally and constitutively deregulated in our prior studies, and therefore it was unclear if aberrant matriptase signaling supports only initiation of tumor formation or if it is also critical for the progression of established tumors. To determine this, we here have generated triple-transgenic mice with constitutive deregulation of matriptase and simultaneous inducible expression of the cognate matriptase inhibitor, hepatocyte growth factor inhibitor (HAI)-2. As expected, constitutive expression of HAI-2 suppressed the formation of matriptase-dependent tumors in 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-treated mouse skin. Interestingly, however, the induction of HAI-2 expression in already established tumors markedly impaired malignant progression and caused regression of individual tumors. Tumor regression correlated with reduced accumulation of tumor-associated inflammatory cells, likely caused by diminished expression of pro-tumorigenic inflammatory cytokines. The data suggest that matriptase-dependent signaling may be a therapeutic target for both squamous cell carcinoma chemoprevention and for the treatment of established tumors.

Mechanisms of hepatocyte growth factor activation in cancer tissues

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) plays critical roles in cancer progression through its specific receptor, MET. HGF/SF is usually synthesized and secreted as an inactive proform (pro-HGF/SF) by stromal cells, such as fibroblasts. Several serine proteases are reported to convert pro-HGF/SF to mature HGF/SF and among these, HGF activator (HGFA) and matriptase are the most potent activators. Increased activities of both proteases have been observed in various cancers. HGFA is synthesized mainly by the liver and secreted as an inactive pro-form. In cancer tissues, pro-HGFA is likely activated by thrombin and/or human kallikrein 1-related peptidase (KLK)-4 and KLK-5. Matriptase is a type II transmembrane serine protease that is expressed by most epithelial cells and is also synthesized as an inactive zymogen. Matriptase activation is likely to be mediated by autoactivation or by other trypsin-like proteases. Recent studies revealed that matriptase autoactivation is promoted by an acidic environment. Given the mildly acidic extracellular environment of solid tumors, matriptase activation may, thus, be accelerated in the tumor microenvironment. HGFA and matriptase activities are regulated by HGFA inhibitor (HAI)-1 (HAI-1) and/or HAI-2 in the pericellular microenvironment. HAIs may have an important role in cancer cell biology by regulating HGF/SF-activating proteases.

The androgen-regulated protease TMPRSS2 activates a proteolytic cascade involving components of the tumor microenvironment and promotes prostate cancer metastasis

TMPRSS2 is an androgen-regulated cell-surface serine protease expressed predominantly in prostate epithelium. TMPRSS2 is expressed highly in localized high-grade prostate cancers and in the majority of human prostate cancer metastases. Through the generation of mouse models with a targeted deletion of Tmprss2, we demonstrate that the activity of this protease regulates cancer cell invasion and metastasis to distant organs. By screening combinatorial peptide libraries, we identified a spectrum of TMPRSS2 substrates that include pro-hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). HGF activated by TMPRSS2 promoted c-MET receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, and initiated a proinvasive epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype. Chemical library screens identified a potent bioavailable TMPRSS2 inhibitor that suppressed prostate cancer metastasis in vivo. Together, these findings provide a mechanistic link between androgen-regulated signaling programs and prostate cancer metastasis that operate via context-dependent interactions with extracellular constituents of the tumor microenvironment.

SIGNIFICANCE

The vast majority of prostate cancer deaths are due to metastasis. Loss of TMPRSS2 activity dramatically attenuated the metastatic phenotype through mechanisms involving the HGF-c-MET axis. Therapeutic approaches directed toward inhibiting TMPRSS2 may reduce the incidence or progression of metastasis in patients with prostate cancer.

Regulation of feto-maternal barrier by matriptase- and PAR-2-mediated signaling is required for placental morphogenesis and mouse embryonic survival

The development of eutherian mammalian embryos is critically dependent on the selective bi-directional transport of molecules across the placenta. Here, we uncover two independent and partially redundant protease signaling pathways that include the membrane-anchored serine proteases, matriptase and prostasin, and the G protein-coupled receptor PAR-2 that mediate the establishment of a functional feto-maternal barrier. Mice with a combined matriptase and PAR-2 deficiency do not survive to term and the survival of matriptase-deficient mice heterozygous for PAR-2 is severely diminished. Embryos with the combined loss of PAR-2 and matriptase or PAR-2 and the matriptase partner protease, prostasin, uniformly die on or before embryonic day 14.5. Despite the extensive co-localization of matriptase, prostasin, and PAR-2 in embryonic epithelia, the overall macroscopic and histological analysis of the double-deficient embryos did not reveal any obvious developmental abnormalities. In agreement with this, the conditional deletion of matriptase from the embryo proper did not affect the prenatal development or survival of PAR-2-deficient mice, indicating that the critical redundant functions of matriptase/prostasin and PAR-2 are limited to extraembryonic tissues. Indeed, placentas of the double-deficient animals showed decreased vascularization, and the ability of placental epithelium to establish a functional feto-maternal barrier was severely diminished. Interestingly, molecular analysis suggested that the barrier defect was associated with a selective deficiency in the expression of the tight junction protein, claudin-1. Our results reveal unexpected complementary roles of matriptase-prostasin- and PAR-2-dependent proteolytic signaling in the establishment of placental epithelial barrier function and overall embryonic survival.

Development of mammalian embryos is dependent on an efficient exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products between the mother and the embryo. The interface between the two systems is provided by the placenta in a form of a specialized epithelium that both facilitates the transport of molecules between the mother and the embryo and screens the substances that can pass between the maternal and fetal tissues. We now show that two independent signaling pathways that include the serine proteases, matriptase and prostasin, and a G protein-coupled receptor PAR-2, are critical for the establishment of a functional feto-maternal interface by specifically regulating the barrier properties of the placental epithelium. Because aberrant formation of epithelial barriers is an underlying feature of a great variety of human developmental abnormalities, the identification of the two protease-dependent signaling pathways critical for the barrier formation in embryonic tissues may help pinpoint molecular mechanisms involved in the etiology of these conditions.

Matriptase autoactivation is tightly regulated by the cellular chemical environments

The ability of cells to rapidly detect and react to alterations in their chemical environment, such as pH, ionic strength and redox potential, is essential for cell function and survival. We present here evidence that cells can respond to such environmental alterations by rapid induction of matriptase autoactivation. Specifically, we show that matriptase autoactivation can occur spontaneously at physiological pH, and is significantly enhanced by acidic pH, both in a cell-free system and in living cells. The acid-accelerated autoactivation can be attenuated by chloride, a property that may be part of a safety mechanism to prevent unregulated matriptase autoactivation. Additionally, the thio-redox balance of the environment also modulates matriptase autoactivation. Using the cell-free system, we show that matriptase autoactivation is suppressed by cytosolic reductive factors, with this cytosolic suppression being reverted by the addition of oxidizing agents. In living cells, we observed rapid induction of matriptase autoactivation upon exposure to toxic metal ions known to induce oxidative stress, including CoCl₂ and CdCl₂. The metal-induced matriptase autoactivation is suppressed by N-acetylcysteine, supporting the putative role of altered cellular redox state in metal induced matriptase autoactivation. Furthermore, matriptase knockdown rendered cells more susceptible to CdCl₂-induced cell death compared to control cells. This observation implies that the metal-induced matriptase autoactivation confers cells with the ability to survive exposure to toxic metals and/or oxidative stress. Our results suggest that matriptase can act as a cellular sensor of the chemical environment of the cell that allows the cell to respond to and protect itself from changes in the chemical milieu.

Potent and specific inhibition of the biological activity of the type-II transmembrane serine protease matriptase by the cyclic microprotein MCoTI-II

Matriptase is a type-II transmembrane serine protease involved in epithelial homeostasis in both health and disease, and is implicated in the development and progression of a variety of cancers. Matriptase mediates its biological effects both via as yet undefined substrates and pathways, and also by proteolytic cleavage of a variety of well-defined protein substrates, several of which it shares with the closely-related protease hepsin. Development of targeted therapeutic strategies will require discrimination between these proteases. Here we have investigated cyclic microproteins of the squash Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin-inhibitor family (generated by total chemical synthesis) and found MCoTI-II to be a high-affinity (Ki 9 nM) and highly selective (> 1,000-fold) inhibitor of matriptase. MCoTI-II efficiently inhibited the proteolytic activation of pro-hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) by matriptase but not by hepsin, in both purified and cell-based systems, and inhibited HGF-dependent cell scattering. MCoTI-II also selectively inhibited the invasion of matriptase-expressing prostate cancer cells. Using a model of epithelial cell tight junction assembly, we also found that MCoTI-II could effectively inhibit the re-establishment of tight junctions and epithelial barrier function in MDCK-I cells after disruption, consistent with the role of matriptase in regulating epithelial integrity. Surprisingly, MCoTI-II was unable to inhibit matriptase-dependent proteolytic activation of prostasin, a GPI-anchored serine protease also implicated in epithelial homeostasis. These observations suggest that the unusually high selectivity afforded by MCoTI-II and its biological effectiveness might represent a useful starting point for the development of therapeutic inhibitors, and further highlight the role of matriptase in epithelial maintenance.

Expression of matriptase correlates with tumour progression and clinical prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

AIMS

To investigate the relationship of matriptase expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to clinicopathological characteristics, patient survival and cell-invasive properties.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Matriptase expression in OSCC was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining, and its relationship to clinicopathological features and outcomes was assessed statistically. The shRNA-mediated stable knockdown of matriptase in OSCC cells was used to analyse cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Matriptase immunostaining score was correlated with histopathological grade, clinical stage, positive lymph node and distant metastasis, and higher matriptase immunostaining score was associated significantly with poor prognosis. Elevated matriptase expression in oral cancer cell lines was a significant promoter of oral cancer cell migration and invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

Matriptase expression correlates with tumour progression and invasive capability in OSCC and may be an adverse prognostic marker for this cancer.

Non-hematopoietic PAR-2 is essential for matriptase-driven pre-malignant progression and potentiation of ras-mediated squamous cell carcinogenesis

The membrane-anchored serine protease, matriptase, is consistently dysregulated in a range of human carcinomas, and high matriptase activity correlates with poor prognosis. Furthermore, matriptase is unique among tumor-associated proteases in that epithelial stem cell expression of the protease suffices to induce malignant transformation. Here, we use genetic epistasis analysis to identify proteinase-activated receptor (PAR)-2-dependent inflammatory signaling as an essential component of matriptase-mediated oncogenesis. In cell-based assays, matriptase was a potent activator of PAR-2, and PAR-2 activation by matriptase caused robust induction of nuclear factor (NF)κB through Gαi. Importantly, genetic elimination of PAR-2 from mice completely prevented matriptase-induced pre-malignant progression, including inflammatory cytokine production, inflammatory cell recruitment, epidermal hyperplasia and dermal fibrosis. Selective ablation of PAR-2 from bone marrow-derived cells did not prevent matriptase-driven pre-malignant progression, indicating that matriptase activates keratinocyte stem cell PAR-2 to elicit its pro-inflammatory and pro-tumorigenic effects. When combined with previous studies, our data suggest that dual induction of PAR-2-NFκB inflammatory signaling and PI3K-Akt-mTor survival/proliferative signaling underlies the transforming potential of matriptase and may contribute to pro-tumorigenic signaling in human epithelial carcinogenesis.

HAI-2 suppresses the invasive growth and metastasis of prostate cancer through regulation of matriptase

Dysregulation of cell surface proteolysis has been strongly implicated in tumorigenicity and metastasis. In this study, we delineated the role of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-2 (HAI-2) in prostate cancer (PCa) cell migration, invasion, tumorigenicity and metastasis using a human PCa progression model (103E, N1, and N2 cells) and xenograft models. N1 and N2 cells were established through serial intraprostatic propagation of 103E human PCa cells and isolation of the metastatic cells from nearby lymph nodes. The invasion capability of these cells was revealed to gradually increase throughout the serial isolations (103E<N1<N2). In this series of cells, the expression of HAI-2 but not HAI-1 was significantly decreased throughout the progression and occurred in parallel with increased activation of matriptase. The expression level and activity of matriptase increased whereas the HAI-2 protein level decreased over the course of orthotopic tumor growth in mice, which was consistent with the immunohistochemical profiles of matriptase and HAI-2 in archival PCa specimens. Knockdown of matriptase reduced the PCa cell invasion induced by HAI-2 knockdown. HAI-2 overexpression or matriptase silencing in N2 cells downregulated matriptase activity and significantly decreased tumorigenicity and metastatic capability in orthotopically xenografted mice. These results suggest that during the progression of human PCa, matriptase activity is primarily controlled by HAI-2 expression. The imbalance between HAI-2 and matriptase expression led to matriptase activation, thereby increasing cell migration, invasion, tumorigenicity and metastasis.

Matriptase regulates proliferation and early, but not terminal, differentiation of human keratinocytes

Genetic defects in matriptase are linked to two congenital ichthyoses: autosomal recessive ichthyosis with hypotrichosis (ARIH, OMIM 610765) and ichthyosis, follicular atrophoderma, hypotrichosis, and hypohidrosis (IFAH, OMIM 602400). Mouse models with matriptase deficiency indicate an involvement of matriptase in suprabasal keratinocytes in the maintenance of the epidermal barrier. In contrast to what has been reported for mouse skin, we show that in human skin matriptase is primarily expressed in the basal and spinous keratinocytes, but not in the more differentiated keratinocytes of the granular layer. In addition, matriptase zymogen activation was predominantly detected in the basal cells. Furthermore, by using skin organotypic cultures as a model system to monitor the course of human epidermal differentiation, we found elevated matriptase zymogen activation during early stages of epidermal differentiation, coupled with a loss of matriptase expression in the late stages of this process. We also show here that matriptase deficiency in HaCaT cells modestly reduces cell proliferation and temporally affects calcium-induced expression of differentiation markers. These collective data suggest that, unlike mouse matriptase, human matriptase may be involved in the regulation of keratinocyte growth and early differentiation, rather than terminal differentiation, providing mechanistic insights into the pathology of the two congenital ichthyoses: ARIH and IFAH.

Antithrombin regulates matriptase activity involved in plasmin generation, syndecan shedding, and HGF activation in keratinocytes

Matriptase, a membrane-associated serine protease, plays an essential role in epidermal barrier function through activation of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored serine protease prostasin. The matriptase-prostasin proteolytic cascade is tightly regulated by hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor (HAI)-1 such that matriptase autoactivation and prostasin activation occur simultaneously and are followed immediately by the inhibition of both enzymes by HAI-1. However, the mechanisms whereby matriptase acts on extracellular substrates remain elusive. Here we report that some active matriptase can escape HAI-1 inhibition by being rapidly shed from the cell surface. In the pericellular environment, shed active matriptase is able to activate hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), accelerate plasminogen activation, and shed syndecan 1. The amount of active matriptase shed is inversely correlated with the amount of antithrombin (AT) bound to the surface of the keratinocytes. Binding of AT to the surface of keratinocytes is dependent on a functional heparin binding site, Lys-125, and that the N-glycosylation site Asn-135 be unglycosylated. This suggests that β-AT, and not α-AT, is responsible for regulation of pericellular matriptase activity in keratinocytes. Keratinocytes appear to rely on AT to regulate the level of pericellular active matriptase much more than breast and prostate epithelial cells in which AT regulation of matriptase activity occurs at much lower levels than keratinocytes. These results suggest that keratinocytes employ two distinct serine protease inhibitors to control the activation and processing of two different sets of matriptase substrates leading to different biological events: 1) HAI-1 for prostasin activation/inhibition, and 2) AT for the pericellular proteolysis involved in HGF activation, accelerating plasminogen activation, and shedding of syndecans.

Imaging a functional tumorigenic biomarker in the transformed epithelium

Proteases responsible for the increased peritumoral proteolysis associated with cancer represent functional biomarkers for monitoring tumorigenesis. One attractive extracellular biomarker is the transmembrane serine protease matriptase. Found on the surface of epithelial cells, the activity of matriptase is regulated by its cognate inhibitor hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-1 (HAI-1). Quantitative mass spectrometry allowed us to show that, in selected cancers, HAI-1 expression decreases, leading to active matriptase. A preclinical probe specific for the measurement of emergent active matriptase was developed. Using an active-site-specific, recombinant human antibody for matriptase, we found that the selective targeting of active matriptase can be used to visualize the tumorigenic epithelium. Live-cell fluorescence imaging validated the selectivity of the antibody in vitro by showing that the probe localized only to cancer cell lines with active matriptase on the surface. Immunofluorescence with the antibody documented significant levels of active matriptase in 68% of primary and metastatic colon cancer sections from tissue microarrays. Labeling of the active form of matriptase in vivo was measured in human colon cancer xenografts and in a patient-derived xenograft model using near-infrared and single-photon emission computed tomography imaging. Tumor uptake of the radiolabeled antibody, (111)In-A11, by active matriptase was high in xenografts (28% injected dose per gram) and was blocked in vivo by the addition of a matriptase-specific variant of ecotin. These findings suggest, through a HAI-1-dependent mechanism, that emergent active matriptase is a functional biomarker of the transformed epithelium and that its proteolytic activity can be exploited to noninvasively evaluate tumorigenesis in vivo.

DSG3 as a biomarker for the ultrasensitive detection of occult lymph node metastasis in oral cancer using nanostructured immunoarrays

OBJECTIVES

The diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients constitutes an essential requirement for clinical staging and treatment selection. However, clinical assessment by physical examination and different imaging modalities, as well as by histological examination of routine lymph node cryosections can miss micrometastases, while false positives may lead to unnecessary elective lymph node neck resections. Here, we explored the feasibility of developing a sensitive assay system for desmoglein 3 (DSG3) as a predictive biomarker for lymph node metastasis in HNSCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DSG3 expression was determined in multiple general cancer- and HNSCC-tissue microarrays (TMAs), in negative and positive HNSCC metastatic cervical lymph nodes, and in a variety of HNSCC and control cell lines. A nanostructured immunoarray system was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of DSG3 in lymph node tissue lysates.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that DSG3 is highly expressed in all HNSCC lesions and their metastatic cervical lymph nodes, but absent in non-invaded lymph nodes. We show that DSG3 can be rapidly detected with high sensitivity using a simple microfluidic immunoarray platform, even in human tissue sections including very few HNSCC invading cells, hence distinguishing between positive and negative lymph nodes.

CONCLUSION

We provide a proof of principle supporting that ultrasensitive nanostructured assay systems for DSG3 can be exploited to detect micrometastatic HNSCC lesions in lymph nodes, which can improve the diagnosis and guide in the selection of appropriate therapeutic intervention modalities for HNSCC patients.

Reduced prostasin (CAP1/PRSS8) activity eliminates HAI-1 and HAI-2 deficiency-associated developmental defects by preventing matriptase activation

Loss of either hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor (HAI)-1 or -2 is associated with embryonic lethality in mice, which can be rescued by the simultaneous inactivation of the membrane-anchored serine protease, matriptase, thereby demonstrating that a matriptase-dependent proteolytic pathway is a critical developmental target for both protease inhibitors. Here, we performed a genetic epistasis analysis to identify additional components of this pathway by generating mice with combined deficiency in either HAI-1 or HAI-2, along with genes encoding developmentally co-expressed candidate matriptase targets, and screening for the rescue of embryonic development. Hypomorphic mutations in Prss8, encoding the GPI-anchored serine protease, prostasin (CAP1, PRSS8), restored placentation and normal development of HAI-1–deficient embryos and prevented early embryonic lethality, mid-gestation lethality due to placental labyrinth failure, and neural tube defects in HAI-2–deficient embryos. Inactivation of genes encoding c-Met, protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), or the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) alpha subunit all failed to rescue embryonic lethality, suggesting that deregulated matriptase-prostasin activity causes developmental failure independent of aberrant c-Met and PAR-2 signaling or impaired epithelial sodium transport. Furthermore, phenotypic analysis of PAR-1 and matriptase double-deficient embryos suggests that the protease may not be critical for focal proteolytic activation of PAR-2 during neural tube closure. Paradoxically, although matriptase auto-activates and is a well-established upstream epidermal activator of prostasin, biochemical analysis of matriptase- and prostasin-deficient placental tissues revealed a requirement of prostasin for conversion of the matriptase zymogen to active matriptase, whereas prostasin zymogen activation was matriptase-independent.

Vertebrate embryogenesis is dependent upon a series of precisely coordinated cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation events. Recently, the execution of these events was shown to be guided in part by extracellular cues provided by focal pericellular proteolysis by a newly identified family of membrane-anchored serine proteases. We now show that two of these membrane-anchored serine proteases, prostasin and matriptase, constitute a single proteolytic signaling cascade that is active at multiple stages of development. Furthermore, we show that failure to precisely regulate the enzymatic activity of both prostasin and matriptase by two developmentally co-expressed transmembrane serine protease inhibitors, hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-1 and -2, causes an array of developmental defects, including clefting of the embryonic ectoderm, lack of placental labyrinth formation, and inability to close the neural tube. Our study also provides evidence that the failure to regulate the prostasin–matriptase cascade may derail morphogenesis independent of the activation of known protease-regulated developmental signaling pathways. Because hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor–deficiency in humans is known to cause an assortment of common and rare developmental abnormalities, the aberrant activity of the prostasin–matriptase cascade identified in our study may contribute importantly to genetic as well as sporadic birth defects in humans.

Fibroblast-secreted hepatocyte growth factor mediates epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in triple-negative breast cancers through paracrine activation of Met

Introduction

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have shown clinical efficacy in lung, colon, and pancreatic cancers. In lung cancer, resistance to EGFR TKIs correlates with amplification of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor tyrosine kinase Met. Breast cancers do not respond to EGFR TKIs, even though EGFR is overexpressed. This intrinsic resistance to EGFR TKIs in breast cancer does not correlate with Met amplification. In several tissue monoculture models of human breast cancer, Met, although expressed, is not phosphorylated, suggesting a requirement for a paracrine-produced ligand. In fact, HGF, the ligand for Met, is not expressed in epithelial cells but is secreted by fibroblasts in the tumor stroma. We have identified a number of breast cancer cell lines that are sensitive to EGFR TKIs. This sensitivity is in conflict with the observed clinical resistance to EGFR TKIs in breast cancers. Here we demonstrate that fibroblast secretion of HGF activates Met and leads to EGFR/Met crosstalk and resistance to EGFR TKIs in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Methods

The SUM102 and SUM149 TNBC cell lines were used in this study. Recombinant HGF as well as conditioned media from fibroblasts expressing HGF were used as sources for Met activation. Furthermore, we co-cultured HGF-secreting fibroblasts with Met-expressing cancer cells to mimic the paracrine HGF/Met pathway, which is active in the tumor microenvironment. Cell growth, survival, and transformation were measured by cell counting, clonogenic and MTS assays, and soft agar colony formation, respectively. Student's t test was used for all statistical analysis.

Results

Here we demonstrate that treatment of breast cancer cells sensitive to EGFR TKIs with recombinant HGF confers a resistance to EGFR TKIs. Interestingly, knocking down EGFR abrogated HGF-mediated cell survival, suggesting a crosstalk between EGFR and Met. HGF is secreted as a single-chain pro-form, which has to be proteolytically cleaved in order to activate Met. To determine whether the proteases required to activate pro-HGF were present in the breast cancer cells, we utilized a fibroblast cell line expressing pro-HGF (RMF-HGF). Addition of pro-HGF-secreting conditioned fibroblast media to TNBC cells as well as co-culturing of TNBC cells with RMF-HGF fibroblasts resulted in robust phosphorylation of Met and stimulated proliferation in the presence of an EGFR TKI.

Conclusions

Taken together, these data suggest a role for Met in clinical resistance to EGFR TKIs in breast cancer through EGFR/Met crosstalk mediated by tumor-stromal interactions.

Loss of membrane-bound serine protease inhibitor HAI-1 induces oral squamous cell carcinoma cells' invasiveness

A loss of balance between cell membrane-associated proteases and their inhibitors may underlie cancer invasion and metastasis. We analysed the roles of a membrane- associated serine protease inhibitor, HAI-1, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). While membranous HAI-1 was widely observed in cancer cells of human OSCC tissues, this was significantly reduced at the infiltrative invasion front. In vitro, HAI-1 was detected in all eight OSCC cell lines examined, in which its cognate membrane protease, matriptase was also expressed. HAI-1 expression knock-down (KD) in OSCC lines, SAS and HSC-3, reduced the growth of both lines in vitro but significantly enhanced SAS tumourigenicity in vivo, which was accompanied by histological changes suggestive of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Both HAI-1-KD lines also exhibited significantly enhanced migratory capability, and membrane-associated but not truncated HAI-1 was required to rescue this phenotype. Other OSCC lines (HSC-2, Sa3, Ca9-22) also showed enhanced migration in response to HAI-1 KD. The enhanced migration is partly attributed to dysregulation of matriptase, as simultaneous matriptase KD alleviated the migration of HAI-1-KD cells. HAI-1 deficiency also altered the expression of CD24, S100A4, CCND2 and DUSP6, all of which are involved in tumour progression. While matriptase was involved in the increased CD24 expression associated with HAI-1 deficiency, the protease appeared to be not responsible for the altered expression of other genes. Therefore, a matriptase-independent mechanism for the invasiveness associated with HAI-1 KD is also present. Together, these observations suggest that HAI-1 has a crucial suppressive role in OSCC cell invasiveness.

Diversity of matriptase expression level and function in breast cancer

Overexpression of matriptase has been reported in a variety of human cancers and is sufficient to trigger tumor formation in mice, but the importance of matriptase in breast cancer remains unclear. We analysed matriptase expression in 16 human breast cancer cell lines and in 107 primary breast tumors. The data revealed considerable diversity in the expression level of this protein indicating that the significance of matriptase may vary from case to case. Matriptase protein expression was correlated with HER2 expression and highest expression was seen in HER2-positive cell lines, indicating a potential role in this subgroup. Stable overexpression of matriptase in two breast cancer cell lines had different consequences. In MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells the only noted consequence of matriptase overexpression was modestly impaired growth in vivo. In contrast, overexpression of matriptase in 4T1 mouse breast carcinoma cells resulted in visible changes in morphology, actin staining and cell to cell contacts. This correlated with downregulation of the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. These results suggest that the functions of matriptase in breast cancer are likely to be variable and cell context dependent.

Strong expression association between matriptase and its substrate prostasin in breast cancer

Breast cancer tumorigenesis is accompanied by increased levels of extracellular proteases that are capable of remodeling the extracellular matrix as well as cleaving and activating growth factors and signaling receptors that are critically involved in neoplastic progression. Multiple studies implicate the membrane anchored serine protease matriptase (also known as MT-SP1 and epithin) in breast cancer. The pro-form of the GPI-anchored serine protease prostasin has recently been identified as a physiological substrate of matriptase and the two proteases are co-expressed in multiple healthy tissues. In this study, the inter-relationship between the two membrane-anchored serine proteases in breast cancer was investigated using breast cancer cell lines and breast cancer patient samples to delineate the association between matriptase and prostasin. We used Western blotting to determine the expression of matriptase and prostasin proteins in a panel of breast cancer cell lines and immunohistochemistry to assess the expression in serial sections from breast cancer tissue arrays. We demonstrate that the expression of matriptase and prostasin is closely correlated in breast cancer cell lines as well as in breast cancer tissue samples. Furthermore, matriptase and prostasin display a near identical spatial expression pattern in the epithelial compartment of breast cancer tissue. These data suggest that the matriptase-prostasin cascade might play a critical role in breast cancer.

Quantitative analysis of gradient sensing: towards building predictive models of chemotaxis in cancer

Chemotaxis of tumor cells in response to a gradient of extracellular ligand is an important step in cancer metastasis. The heterogeneity of chemotactic responses in cancer has not been widely addressed by experimental or mathematical modeling techniques. However, recent advancements in chemoattractant presentation, fluorescent-based signaling probes, and phenotypic analysis paradigms provide rich sources for building data-driven relational models that describe tumor cell chemotaxis in response to a wide variety of stimuli. Here we present gradient sensing, and the resulting chemotactic behavior, in a 'cue-signal-response' framework and suggest methods for utilizing recently reported experimental methods in data-driven modeling ventures.

Suppression of Tumorigenicity-14, encoding matriptase, is a critical suppressor of colitis and colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis

Colitis-associated colorectal cancers are an etiologically distinct subgroup of colon cancers that occur in individuals suffering from inflammatory bowel disease and arise as a consequence of persistent exposure of hyperproliferative epithelial stem cells to an inflammatory microenvironment. An intrinsic defect in the intestinal epithelial barrier has been proposed to be one of several factors that contribute to the inappropriate immune response to the commensal microbiota that underlies inflammatory bowel disease. Matriptase is a membrane-anchored serine protease encoded by Suppression of Tumorigenicity-14 (ST14) that strengthens the intestinal epithelial barrier by promoting tight junction formation. Here we show that intestinal epithelial-specific ablation of St14 in mice causes formation of colon adenocarcinoma with very early onset and high penetrance. Neoplastic progression is preceded by a chronic inflammation of the colon that resembles human inflammatory bowel disease and is promoted by the commensal microbiota. This study demonstrates that inflammation-associated colon carcinogenesis can be initiated and promoted solely by an intrinsic intestinal permeability barrier perturbation, establishes St14 as a critical tumor suppressor gene in the mouse gastrointestinal tract, and adds matriptase to the expanding list of pericellular proteases with tumor suppressive functions.

A reverse binding motif that contributes to specific protease inhibition by antibodies

The type II transmembrane serine protease family consists of 18 closely related serine proteases that are implicated in multiple functions. To identify selective, inhibitory antibodies against one particular type II transmembrane serine protease, matriptase [MT-SP1 (membrane-type serine protease 1)], a phage display library was created with a natural repertoire of Fabs [fragment antigen binding (Fab)] from human naïve B cells. Fab A11 was identified with a 720 pM inhibition constant and high specificity for matriptase over other trypsin-fold serine proteases. A Trichoderma reesei system expressed A11 with a yield of ∼200 mg/L. The crystal structure of A11 in complex with matriptase has been determined and compared to the crystal structure of another antibody inhibitor (S4) in complex with matriptase. Previously discovered from a synthetic single-chain variable fragment library, S4 is also a highly selective and potent matriptase inhibitor. The crystal structures of the A11/matriptase and S4/matriptase complexes were solved to 2.1 Å and 1.5 Å, respectively. Although these antibodies, discovered from separate libraries, interact differently with the protease surface loops for their specificity, the structures reveal a similar novel mechanism of protease inhibition. Through the insertion of the H3 variable loop in a reverse orientation at the substrate-binding pocket, these antibodies bury a large surface area for potent inhibition and avoid proteolytic inactivation. This discovery highlights the critical role that the antibody scaffold plays in positioning loops to bind and inhibit protease function in a highly selective manner. Additionally, Fab A11 is a fully human antibody that specifically inhibits matriptase over other closely related proteases, suggesting that this approach could be useful for clinical applications.

Efficient targeting of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by systemic administration of a dual uPA and MMP-activated engineered anthrax toxin

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Although considerable progress has been made in elucidating the etiology of the disease, the prognosis for individuals diagnosed with HNSCC remains poor, underscoring the need for development of additional treatment modalities. HNSCC is characterized by the upregulation of a large number of proteolytic enzymes, including urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and an assortment of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that may be expressed by tumor cells, by tumor-supporting stromal cells or by both. Here we explored the use of an intercomplementing anthrax toxin that requires combined cell surface uPA and MMP activities for cellular intoxication and specifically targets the ERK/MAPK pathway for the treatment of HNSCC. We found that this toxin displayed strong systemic anti-tumor activity towards a variety of xenografted human HNSCC cell lines by inducing apoptotic and necrotic tumor cell death, and by impairing tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Interestingly, the human HNSCC cell lines were insensitive to the intercomplementing toxin when cultured ex vivo, suggesting that either the toxin targets the tumor-supporting stromal cell compartment or that the tumor cell requirement for ERK/MAPK signaling differs in vivo and ex vivo. This intercomplementing toxin warrants further investigation as an anti-HNSCC agent.