Transformation of rat fibroblasts by phospholipase C-gamma1 overexpression is accompanied by tyrosine dephosphorylation of paxillin

Effect of antiangiogenic therapy on tumor growth, vasculature and kinase activity in basal- and luminal-like breast cancer xenografts

Several clinical trials have investigated the efficacy of bevacizumab in breast cancer, and even if growth inhibiting effects have been registered when antiangiogenic treatment is given in combination with chemotherapy no gain in overall survival has been observed. One reason for the lack of overall survival benefit might be that appropriate criteria for selection of patients likely to respond to antiangiogenic therapy in combination with chemotherapy, are not available. To determine factors of importance for antiangiogenic treatment response and/or resistance, two representative human basal- and luminal-like breast cancer xenografts were treated with bevacizumab and doxorubicin alone or in combination. In vivo growth inhibition, microvessel density (MVD) and proliferating tumor vessels (pMVD = proliferative microvessel density) were analysed, while kinase activity was determined using the PamChip Tyrosine kinase microarray system. Results showed that both doxorubicin and bevacizumab inhibited basal-like tumor growth significantly, but with a superior effect when given in combination. In contrast, doxorubicin inhibited luminal-like tumor growth most effectively, and with no additional benefit of adding antiangiogenic therapy. In agreement with the growth inhibition data, vascular characterization verified a more pronounced effect of the antiangiogenic treatment in the basal-like compared to the luminal-like tumors, demonstrating total inhibition of pMVD and a significant reduction in MVD at early time points (three days after treatment) and sustained inhibitory effects until the end of the experiment (day 18). In contrast, luminal-like tumors only showed significant effect on the vasculature at day 10 in the tumors having received both doxorubicin and bevacizumab. Kinase activity profiling in both tumor models demonstrated that the most effective treatment in vivo was accompanied with increased phosphorylation of kinase substrates of growth control and angiogenesis, like EGFR, VEGFR2 and PLCγ1. This may be a result of regulatory feedback mechanisms contributing to treatment resistance, and may suggest response markers of value for the prediction of antiangiogenic treatment efficacy.

Prolonged protein turnover of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by phospholipase C-gamma 1 is critical for anchorage-independent growth and ATP synthesis in transformed cells

Overexpression of phospholipase C-γl (PLC-γl) in rat 3Y1 fibroblasts leads to the formation of tumors in nude mice. However, the molecular mechanism for PLC-γl-mediated cellular transformation has not been studied in detail. In this study, we found that glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), a glycolytic enzyme, protein levels were increased substantially in cells overexpressing PLC-γl, and that PLC-γl upregulation of GAPDH was due to a decrease in ubiquitination, followed by sustained protein turnover and subsequent accumulation. These observations suggest that regulation of the turnover rate of GAPDH is critical for anchorage-independent growth and ATP synthesis of transformed cells.

Differential expression of the FAK family kinases in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis synovial tissues

The focal adhesion kinase (FAK) family kinases, including FAK and proline-rich kinase 2 (Pyk)2, are the predominant mediators of integrin alphavbeta3 signaling events that play an important role in cell adhesion, osteoclast pathology, and angiogenesis, all processes important in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Using immunohistochemical and western blot analysis, we studied the distribution of phospho (p)FAK, pPyk2, pSrc, pPaxillin and pPLCgamma in the synovial tissue (ST) from patients with RA, osteoarthritis (OA) and normal donors (NDs) as well as in RA ST fibroblasts and peripheral blood differentiated macrophages (PB MPhis) treated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) or interleukin-1beta (IL1beta). RA and OA STs showed a greater percentage of pFAK on lining cells and MPhis compared with ND ST. RA ST fibroblasts expressed pFAK at baseline, which increased with TNFalpha or IL1beta stimulation. Pyk2 and Src were phosphorylated more on RA versus OA and ND lining cells and MPhis. pPyk2 was expressed on RA ST fibrobasts but not in MPhis at baseline, however it was upregulated upon TNFalpha or IL1beta activation in both cell types. pSrc was expressed in RA ST fibroblasts and MPhis at baseline and was further increased by TNFalpha or IL1beta stimulation. pPaxillin and pPLCgamma were upregulated in RA versus OA and ND lining cells and sublining MPhis. Activation of the FAK family signaling cascade on RA and OA lining cells may be responsible for cell adhesion and migration into the diseased STs. Therapies targeting this novel signaling pathway may be beneficial in RA.

Protein phosphatase-2A regulates protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in Lewis lung carcinoma tumor variants

Cellular adherence and motility are processes that are controlled by focal adhesion assembly and disassembly. Consequently, the dynamics of focal adhesions regulate tumor cell metastasis and are influenced by the tyrosine phosphorylation state of paxillin. Metastatic LLC cells are more migratory and have reduced paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation as compared to nonmetastatic LLC cells. In nonmetastatic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor cells, inhibition of the serine/threonine protein phosphatase-2A (PP-2A) activity results in increased motility that is associated with a reduction in the phosphotyrosine content of paxillin. Studies to determine if PP-2A can regulate protein tyrosine phosphatase activity showed that blocking PP-2A activity of nonmetastatic LLC-C8 tumor cells with okadaic acid reduces protein tyrosine phosphatase activity. Among the tyrosine phosphatases whose activity was inhibited upon PP-2A inhibition is Shp-2. In contrast, protein levels of Shp-2 are unaffected by PP-2A inhibition. While these results do not fully identify how inhibition of PP-2A results in tyrosine dephosphorylation of paxillin, they do demonstrate that PP-2A can link serine/threonine and tyrosine signaling pathways by regulating protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Protein phosphatase-2A modulates the serine and tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin in Lewis lung carcinoma tumor variants

Cellular adhesion and motility, processes regulated by focal adhesion assembly and disassembly, can influence a tumor cell's ability to metastasize. Focal adhesion dynamics are, in turn, influenced by the serine and tyrosine phosphorylation state of paxillin. Using Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor variants, this study shows the importance of the serine/threonine protein phosphatase-2A (PP-2A) in maintaining adherence and restricting tumor cell motility, and modulating the serine and tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin. Treating non-metastatic LLC-C8 tumor variants with okadaic acid to inhibit PP-2A activity resulted in cell rounding and increased motility. These effects on motility and adherence were accompanied by increased serine and decreased tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin. These results suggest PP-2A regulation of paxillin phosphorylation may have a role in controlling tumor cell adherence and motility.