Fascin-1 promoter activity is regulated by CREB and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in human carcinoma cells

The crucial role of fascin-1 in the pathogenesis, metastasis, and chemotherapeutic resistance of breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer in women to be diagnosed, and it is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women globally. It is the disease that causes the most life years adjusted for disability lost among women, making it a serious worldwide health issue. Understanding and interpreting carcinogenesis and metastatic pathways is critical for curing malignancy. Fascin-1 was recognized as an actin-bundling protein with parallel, rigid bundles as a result of the cross-linking of F-actin microfilaments. Increasing levels of fascin-1 have been associated with bad prognostic profiles, aggressiveness of clinical courses, and poor survival outcomes in a variety of human malignancies. Cancer cells that overexpress fascin-1 have higher capabilities for proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis. Fascin-1 is being considered as a potential target for therapy as well as a potential biomarker for diagnostics in a variety of cancer types. This review aims to provide an overview of the FSCN1 gene and its protein structure, elucidate its physiological and pathological roles, and throw light on its involvement in the initiation, development, and chemotherapeutic resistance of BC.

Targeting FSCN1 with an oral small-molecule inhibitor for treating ocular neovascularization

BACKGROUND

Ocular neovascularization is a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment. While intravitreal anti-VEGF agents can be effective, they do have several drawbacks, such as endophthalmitis and drug resistance. Additional studies are necessary to explore alternative therapeutic targets.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis and quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect and verify the FSCN1 expression levels in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mice model. Transwell, wound scratching, tube formation, three-dimensional bead sprouting assay, rhodamine-phalloidin staining, Isolectin B4 staining and immunofluorescent staining were conducted to detect the role of FSCN1 and its oral inhibitor NP-G2-044 in vivo and vitro. HPLC-MS/MS analysis, cell apoptosis assay, MTT assay, H&E and tunnel staining, visual electrophysiology testing, visual cliff test and light/dark transition test were conducted to assess the pharmacokinetic and security of NP-G2-044 in vivo and vitro. Co-Immunoprecipitation, qRT-PCR and western blot were conducted to reveal the mechanism of FSCN1 and NP-G2-044 mediated pathological ocular neovascularization.

RESULTS

We discovered that Fascin homologue 1 (FSCN1) is vital for angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo, and that it is highly expressed in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV). We found that NP-G2-044, a small-molecule inhibitor of FSCN1 with oral activity, can impede the sprouting, migration, and filopodia formation of cultured endothelial cells. Oral NP-G2-044 can effectively and safely curb the development of OIR and CNV, and increase efficacy while overcoming anti-VEGF resistance in combination with intravitreal aflibercept (Eylea) injection.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, FSCN1 inhibition could serve as a promising therapeutic approach to block ocular neovascularization.

Sulfiredoxin Promotes Cancer Cell Invasion through Regulation of the miR143-Fascin Axis

Intracellular antioxidant enzymes are critical for maintenance of redox homeostasis, but whether and how they contribute to the malignancy of cancer cells remains poorly understood. Sulfiredoxin (Srx) is a unique oxidoreductase in that it not only restores peroxidase activity of peroxiredoxins (Prxs) but also functions as a pivotal stimulator of oncogenic signaling. We found that abnormally high level of Srx promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) malignancy by stimulating gelatin degradation, invadopodia formation, and cell invasion. Fascin, an actin-bundling protein, was discovered and validated as one of the critical downstream targets of Srx activation. We demonstrated that depletion of Srx in CRC cells leads to upregulation of miR-143-3p, which mediates degradation of fascin mRNA through binding to conserved sites within the 3' untranslated region (UTR). Depletion of fascin in CRC cells recapitulates the effect of Srx loss, and restoration of fascin in Srx-depleted cells by miR-143-3p inhibitor or overexpression rescues defects in cell invasion. Therefore, our data demonstrate that the Srx-miR143-fascin axis plays a key role in promoting the malignancy of human CRC cells. In the future, the Srx-miR143-fascin axis can be used as a functional pathway to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic drugs or be targeted to develop promising chemotherapeutics for treatment of CRC patients.

Fascin in Gynecological Cancers: An Update of the Literature

Simple Summary

Fascin, an actin-binding protein, is upregulated in different types of human cancers. It is reportedly responsible for increasing the invasive and metastatic ability of cancer cells by reducing cell–cell adhesions. This review provides a brief overview of fascin and its interactions with other genes and oncoviruses to induce the onset and progression of cancer.

Abstract

Fascin is an actin-binding protein that is encoded by the FSCN1 gene (located on chromosome 7). It triggers membrane projections and stimulates cell motility in cancer cells. Fascin overexpression has been described in different types of human cancers in which its expression correlated with tumor growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Moreover, overexpression of fascin was found in oncovirus-infected cells, such as human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), disrupting the cell–cell adhesion and enhancing cancer progression. Based on these findings, several studies reported fascin as a potential biomarker and a therapeutic target in various cancers. This review provides a brief overview of the FSCN1 role in various cancers with emphasis on gynecological malignancies. We also discuss fascin interactions with other genes and oncoviruses through which it might induce cancer development and progression.

Fascin-1 is Highly Expressed Specifically in Microglia After Spinal Cord Injury and Regulates Microglial Migration

Recent research indicates that after spinal cord injury (SCI), microglia accumulate at the borders of lesions between astrocytic and fibrotic scars and perform inflammation-limiting and neuroprotective functions, however, the mechanism of microglial migration remains unclear. Fascin-1 is a key actin-bundling protein that regulates cell migration, invasion and adhesion, but its role during SCI has not been reported. Here, we found that at 7–14 days after SCI in mice, Fascin-1 is significantly upregulated, mainly distributed around the lesion, and specifically expressed in CX3CR1-positive microglia. However, Fascin-1 is not expressed in GFAP-positive astrocytes, NeuN-positive neurons, NG2-positive cells, PDGFRβ-positive cells, or blood-derived Mac2-positive macrophages infiltrating into the lesion core. The expression of Fascin-1 is correspondingly decreased after microglia are specifically depleted in the injured spinal cord by the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor PLX5622. The upregulation of Fascin-1 expression is observed when microglia are activated by myelin debris in vitro, and microglial migration is prominently increased. The inhibition of Fascin-1 expression using small interfering RNA (siRNA) markedly suppresses the migration of microglia, but this effect can be reversed by treatment with myelin. The M1/M2-like polarization of microglia does not affect the expression of Fascin-1. Together, our results suggest that Fascin-1 is highly expressed specifically in microglia after SCI and can play an important role in the migration of microglia and the formation of microglial scars. Hence, the elucidation of this mechanism will provide novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of SCI.

Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 in human cancer: promising biomarker or therapeutic target?

Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1) is a highly conserved actin-bundling protein that cross links F-actin microfilaments into tight, parallel bundles. Elevated FSCN1 levels have been reported in many types of human cancers and have been correlated with aggressive clinical progression, poor prognosis, and survival outcomes. The overexpression of FSCN1 in cancer cells has been associated with tumor growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Currently, FSCN1 is recognized as a candidate biomarker for multiple cancer types and as a potential therapeutic target. The aim of this study was to provide a brief overview of the FSCN1 gene and protein structure and elucidate on its actin-bundling activity and physiological functions. The main focus was on the role of FSCN1 and its upregulatory mechanisms and significance in cancer cells. Up-to-date studies on FSCN1 as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for human cancers are reviewed. It is shown that FSCN1 is an unusual biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for cancer.

Fascin in Cell Migration: More Than an Actin Bundling Protein

Simple Summary

Cell migration is an essential biological process that regulates both development and diseases, such as cancer metastasis. Therefore, understanding the factors that promote cell migration is crucial. One of the factors known to regulate cell migration is the actin-binding protein, Fascin. Fascin is typically thought to promote cell migration through bundling actin to form migratory structures such as filopodia and invadapodia. However, Fascin has many other functions in the cell that may contribute to cell migration. How these novel functions promote cell migration and are regulated is still not well understood. Here, we review the structure of Fascin, the many functions of Fascin and how they may promote cell migration, how Fascin is regulated, and Fascin’s role in diseases such as cancer metastasis.

Abstract

Fascin, an actin-binding protein, regulates many developmental migrations and contributes to cancer metastasis. Specifically, Fascin promotes cell motility, invasion, and adhesion by forming filopodia and invadopodia through its canonical actin bundling function. In addition to bundling actin, Fascin has non-canonical roles in the cell that are thought to promote cell migration. These non-canonical functions include regulating the activity of other actin-binding proteins, binding to and regulating microtubules, mediating mechanotransduction to the nucleus via interaction with the Linker of the Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) Complex, and localizing to the nucleus to regulate nuclear actin, the nucleolus, and chromatin modifications. The many functions of Fascin must be coordinately regulated to control cell migration. While much remains to be learned about such mechanisms, Fascin is regulated by post-translational modifications, prostaglandin signaling, protein–protein interactions, and transcriptional means. Here, we review the structure of Fascin, the various functions of Fascin and how they contribute to cell migration, the mechanisms regulating Fascin, and how Fascin contributes to diseases, specifically cancer metastasis.

How does fascin promote cancer metastasis?

Fascin is an F-actin-bundling protein that cross-links individual actin filaments into straight and stiff bundles. Fascin overexpression in cancer is strongly associated with poor prognosis and metastatic progression across different cancer types. It is well established that fascin plays a causative role in promoting metastatic progression. We will review the recent progress in our understanding of mechanisms underlying fascin-mediated cancer metastasis. This review will cover the biochemical basis for fascin-bundling activity, the mechanisms by which cancer cells upregulate fascin expression and the mechanism underlying fascin-mediated cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastatic colonization. We propose that fascin has broad roles in both metastatic dissemination and metastatic colonization. Understanding these mechanisms will be crucial to the development of anti-metastasis therapeutics targeting fascin.

Investigation of promoter methylation of FSCN1 gene and FSCN1 protein expression in differentiated thyroid carcinomas

FSCN1 gene encodes an actin-bundling protein, FSCN1, which is involved in formation of actin-based structures that contribute to cell migration. High levels of FSCN1 expression is observed in cells with extended membranes and protrusions. Moreover, up-regulation of FSCN1 has been reported in several epithelial carcinomas. Therefore, FSCN1 is thought to play a role in cell movement and invasion. However, the mechanism behind FSCN1 up-regulation is not known. We investigated the expression of FSCN1 using immunohistochemistry. Methylation-specific PCR was adopted to analyze the methylation status of FSCN1 promoter as a potential regulatory mechanism in FSCN1 expression. The samples included papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular thyroid carcinoma and goiter samples (controls). Methylation of FSCN1 promoter was observed in 50% of follicular, 48.6% of papillary and 60% of controls. The promoter was unmethylated in 16.7% of follicular samples, 5.7% of papillary samples and 26.7% of controls. In the remaining 33.3% of follicular and 45.7% of papillary samples as well as 13.3% of controls, both methylated and unmethylated alleles were amplified, a condition referred to as semi-methylation. The results showed that FSCN1 promoter was significantly hypomethylated in papillary cases while the methylation status was not significantly altered in follicular cases. On the other hand, FSCN1 was expressed in only nine papillary samples. Regarding protein expression and methylation status, we suggest that hypomethylation of FSCN1 promoter in papillary thyroid carcinoma does not lead to overexpression of FSCN1 and that there might be other regulatory mechanisms involved in FSCN1 up-regulation.

High Expression Levels of Fascin-1 Protein in Human Gliomas and its Clinical Relevance

Introduction

The fascin-1 protein is a cytoskeleton-like protein, which can prompt structural changes in cell membranes and affect the integrity of intercellular relations to promote invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. In this study, we researched the expression of fascin-1 in glioma.

Material and methods

The fascin-1 protein and mRNA were detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Then, we analyzed the relationship between the expression of fascin-1 protein and the clinical pathological characteristics of patients with glioma. Finally, the fascin-1 protein expression status and prognosis of glioma patients were investigated.

Results

The fascin-1 protein was mainly located in the cytoplasm of cells from glioma. The high expression rate of fascin-1 protein in glioma tissue was higher than that of normal brain tissue. At same time, we found that high fascin-1 protein expression was significantly correlated with World Health Organization (WHO) grading of glioma patients. The results survival analysis suggested high expression of fascin-1 protein in glioma patients with a shorter survival time. Multivariate analysis showed that high expression of fascin-1 protein was an independent predictor of the prognosis of patients with glioma.

Conclusions

High expression of the fascin-1 protein indicates poor prognosis for glioma patients.

The meta and bioinformatics analysis of fascin expression in gastric cancer: a potential marker for aggressiveness and worse prognosis

Fascin is a FSCN1-encoded actin bundling protein, and positively associated with proliferation, migration and metastasis of malignancies. Here, we performed a systematic meta and bioinformatics analysis through multiple online databases up to March 14, 2017. We found up-regulated fascin expression in gastric cancer, compared with normal mucosa (p<0.05). Fascin expression was positively with lymph node metastasis, TNM staging and worse prognosis of gastric cancer (p<0.05). According to bioinformatics database, FSCN1 mRNA expression was higher in gastric cancer than normal tissues (p<0.05). According to Kaplan-Meier plotter, we found that a higher FSCN1 expression was negatively correlated with overall and progression-free survival rates of all cancer patients, even stratified by aggressive parameters (p<0.05). These findings indicated that fascin expression might be employed as a potential marker to indicate gastric carcinogenesis and subsequent progression, even prognosis.

β-Catenin/CBP-Dependent Signaling Regulates TGF-β-Induced Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition of Lens Epithelial Cells

Purpose

Transforming growth factor-β–induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the main causes of posterior capsular opacification (PCO) or secondary cataract; however, the signaling events involved in TGF-β–induced PCO have not been fully characterized. Here, we focus on examining the role of β-catenin/cyclic AMP response element–binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP) and β-catenin/T-cell factor (TCF)-dependent signaling in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics during TGF-β–induced EMT in lens epithelial explants.

Methods

Rat lens epithelial explants were cultured in medium M199 in the absence of serum. Explants were treated with TGF-β2 in the presence or absence of the β-catenin/CBP interaction inhibitor, ICG-001, or the β-catenin/TCF interaction inhibitor, PNU-74654. Western blot and immunofluorescence experiments were carried out and analyzed.

Results

An increase in the expression of fascin, an actin-bundling protein, was observed in the lens explants upon stimulation with TGF-β, and colocalized with F-actin filaments. Inhibition of β-catenin/CBP interactions, but not β-catenin/TCF interactions, led to a decrease in TGF-β–induced fascin and stress fiber formation, as well as a decrease in the expression of known markers of EMT, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9). In addition, inhibition of β-catenin/CBP–dependent signaling also prevented TGF-β–induced downregulation of epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) in lens explants.

Conclusions

We show that β-catenin/CBP–dependent signaling regulates fascin, MMP9, and α-SMA expression during TGF-β–induced EMT. We demonstrate that β-catenin/CBP–dependent signaling is crucial for TGF-β–induced EMT in the lens.

Fascin1 in carcinomas: Its regulation and prognostic value

Previous cell biological studies demonstrate that the actin bundling protein fascin1 regulates cell motility, migration and invasion. Human studies demonstrate that fascin1 is upregulated in many epithelial cancers. This review gives a brief overview of the role of fascin1 in cell migration and invasion, but focuses mainly on the regulation and clinical relevance of fascin1 in epithelial cancers. Here, we propose fascin1 as a potent prognostic biomarker for breast, colorectal, esophageal cancers and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Fascin1 may also be an attractive drug target against these carcinomas in the future, but more studies are needed.

Regulation of the tumor marker Fascin by the viral oncoprotein Tax of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) depends on promoter activation and on a promoter-independent mechanism

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is a highly infiltrative neoplasia of CD4(+) T-lymphocytes that occurs in about 5% of carriers infected with the deltaretrovirus human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The viral oncoprotein Tax perturbs cellular signaling pathways leading to upregulation of host cell factors, amongst them the actin-bundling protein Fascin, an invasion marker of several types of cancer. However, transcriptional regulation of Fascin by Tax is poorly understood. In this study, we identified a triple mode of transcriptional induction of Fascin by Tax, which requires (1) NF-κB-dependent promoter activation, (2) a Tax-responsive region in the Fascin promoter, and (3) a promoter-independent mechanism sensitive to the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2. Thus, Tax regulates Fascin by a multitude of signals. Beyond, using Tax-expressing and virus-transformed lymphocytes as a model system, our study is the first to identify the invasion marker Fascin as a novel target of PP2, an inhibitor of metastasis.

A signal transducer and activator of transcription 3·Nuclear Factor κB (Stat3·NFκB) complex is necessary for the expression of fascin in metastatic breast cancer cells in response to interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α

IL-6 mediated activation of Stat3 is a major signaling pathway in the process of breast cancer metastasis. One important mechanism by which the IL-6/Stat3 pathway promotes metastasis is through transcriptional regulation of the actin-bundling protein fascin. In this study, we further analyzed the transcriptional regulation of the fascin gene promoter. We show that in addition to IL-6, TNF-α increases Stat3 and NFκB binding to the fascin promoter to induce its expression. We also show that NFκB is required for Stat3 recruitment to the fascin promoter in response to IL-6. Furthermore, Stat3 and NFκB form a protein complex in response to cytokine stimulation. Finally, we demonstrate that an overlapping STAT/NFκB site in a highly conserved 160-bp region of the fascin promoter is sufficient and necessary to induce transcription in response to IL-6 and TNF-α.

Fascin1 expression in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma is a prognostic marker and knockdown of fascin1 suppresses the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells

Fascin1 (FSCN1) involved in cell motility and filopodia assembly plays important roles in biological processes such as cancer invasion and metastasis of multiple epithelial tumors. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is aggressive and metastatic by acquiring an invasive phenotype and this step requires remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the expression of fascin1 in HGSOC tissues as well as its clinical significance such as prognostic predictors and its utility of therapeutic target. Fascin1 and β-catenin were evaluated using immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray of 79 HGSOC. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) approach was used to knock down fascin1 expression in ovarian cancer cell lines to determine whether fascin1 contributes to tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Fascin1 expression levels were determined by western blot analysis after siRNA transfection using two human ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and OVCAR3). Fascin1 overexpression was significantly correlated with lymph node involvement, distance metastasis and high International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (III/IV) (P<0.05). A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the fascin1 expression group was significantly associated with poor overall survival (P=0.010). We showed that inactivation of fascin1 by siRNA transfection led to a drop in cell viability, and significantly decreased tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness compared to untransfected cells. We found that fascin1 expression is a potential poor marker of prognosis for patients with HGSOC and knockdown of fascin1 suppresses ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration, this could be applied for therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer treatment.

The prometastatic ribosomal S6 kinase 2-cAMP response element-binding protein (RSK2-CREB) signaling pathway up-regulates the actin-binding protein fascin-1 to promote tumor metastasis

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with breast, lung, and head and neck cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying metastases in these cancers remain unclear. We found that the p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2)-cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway is commonly activated in diverse metastatic human cancer cells, leading to up-regulation of a CREB transcription target Fascin-1. We also observed that the protein expression patterns of RSK2 and Fascin-1 correlate in primary human tumor tissue samples from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. Moreover, knockdown of RSK2 disrupts filopodia formation and bundling in highly invasive cancer cells, leading to attenuated cancer cell invasion in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo, whereas expression of Fascin-1 significantly rescues these phenotypes. Furthermore, targeting RSK2 with the small molecule RSK inhibitor FMK-MEA effectively attenuated the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Taken together, our findings for the first time link RSK2-CREB signaling to filopodia formation and bundling through the up-regulation of Fascin-1, providing a proinvasive and prometastatic advantage to human cancers. Therefore, protein effectors of the RSK2-CREB-Fascin-1 pathway represent promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the clinical prognosis and treatment of metastatic human cancers.

Essential genes in thyroid cancers: focus on fascin

Although thyroid cancers are not among common malignancies, they rank as the first prevalent endocrine cancers in human. According to the results of published studies it has been shown the gradual progress from normal to the neoplastic cell in the process of tumor formation is the result of sequential genetic events. Among them we may point the mutations and rearrangements occurred in a group of proto-oncogenes, transcription factors and metastasis elements such as P53, RAS,RET,BRAF, PPARγ and Fascin. In the present article,we reviewed the most important essential genes in thyroid cancers, the role of epithelial mesenchymal transition and Fascin has been highlighted in this paper.

Role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in cancer

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a cytosolic ligand-activated transcription factor, belongs to the member of bHLH/PAS family of heterodimeric transcriptional regulators and is widely expressed in a variety of animal species and humans. Recent animal and human data suggested that AHR is involved in various signaling pathways critical to cell normal homeostasis, which covers multiple aspects of physiology, such as cell proliferation and differentiation, gene regulation, cell motility and migration, inflammation and others. Dysregulation of these physiological processes is known to contribute to events such as tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. Increasing epidemiological and experimental animal data provided substantial support for an association between abnormal AHR function and cancer, implicating AHR may be a novel drug-interfering target for cancers. The proposed underlying mechanisms of its actions in cancer involved multiple aspects, (a) inhibiting the functional expression of the key anti-oncogenes (such as p53 and BRCA1), (b) promoting stem cells transforming and angiogenesis, (c) altering cell survival, proliferation and differentiation by influencing the physiologic processes of cell-cycle, apoptosis, cell contact-inhibition, metabolism and remodel of extracellular matrix, and cell-matrix interaction, (d) cross-talking with the signaling pathways of estrogen receptor and inflammation. This review aims to provide a brief overview of recent investigations into the role of AHR and the underlying mechanisms of its actions in cancer, which were explored by the new technologies emerging in recent years.

Fascin-1 overexpression and miR-133b downregulation in the progression of gastrointestinal stromal tumor

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that are up- or downregulated in several types of cancer, and have an important role in the tumorigenesis and progression. To better understand the role of aberrantly expressed miRNAs and their target genes affecting the biology of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), we performed miRNA array in 19 cases of GIST, and found that several miRNAs, including miR-133b, were downregulated in high-grade GISTs. Subsequently, quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR revealed that fascin-1 mRNA was upregulated in accordance with miR-133b downregulation in high-grade GIST; this result was consistent with a previous report showing that fascin-1 might be a direct target of miR-133b. We then examined the fascin-1 protein expression by immunohistochemical staining in 147 cases of GIST, and found that fascin-1 overexpression was significantly correlated with shorter disease-free survival time and several aggressive pathological factors, including tumor size, mitotic counts, risk grade, blood vessel invasion and mucosal ulceration. Our results suggest that downregulation of miR-133b and overexpression of fascin-1 may have an important role in the progression of GIST, and that fascin-1 may be a useful biomarker to predict the aggressive behavior.

Multiple interferon regulatory factor and NF-κB sites cooperate in mediating cell-type- and maturation-specific activation of the human CD83 promoter in dendritic cells

CD83 is one of the best-known surface markers for fully mature dendritic cells (mature DCs), and its cell-type- and maturation-specific regulation makes the CD83 promoter an interesting tool for the genetic modulation of DCs. To determine the mechanisms regulating this DC- and maturation-specific CD83 expression, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-on-chip microarray, biocomputational, reporter, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and ChIP analyses were performed. These studies led to the identification of a ternary transcriptional activation complex composed of an upstream regulatory element, a minimal promoter, and an enhancer, which have not been reported in this arrangement for any other gene so far. Notably, these DNA regions contain a complex framework of interferon regulatory factor (IRF)- and NF-κB transcription factor-binding sites mediating their arrangement. Mutation of any of the IRF-binding sites resulted in a significant loss of promoter activity, whereas overexpression of NF-κB transcription factors clearly enhanced transcription. We identified IRF-1, IRF-2, IRF-5, p50, p65, and cRel to be involved in regulating maturation-specific CD83 expression in DCs. Therefore, the characterization of this promoter complex not only contributes to the knowledge of DC-specific gene regulation but also suggests the involvement of a transcriptional module with binding sites separated into distinct regions in transcriptional activation as well as cell-type- and maturation-specific transcriptional targeting of DCs.

The role of fascin in migration and invasion of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

INTRODUCTION

To investigate the roles of fascin in migration and invasiveness in bladder urothelial carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Immunohistochemical detection of fascin in urothelial carcinoma samples and inhibition the expression of fascin in the urothelial carcinoma cell line were performed, then the differences in cell behaviors before and after silencing of the fascin gene were tested.

RESULTS

In our study, we found that overexpression of fascin was more frequent in urothelial carcinoma tissues (p < 0.001). Fascin expression was positively correlated with histological grade (p = 0.024) and pT stage (p < 0.001). After transfection of fascin shRNA, the expressions of fascin in 5637 cells and BIU87 cells were efficiently decreased according to real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. When fascin was inhibited, a significant decrease in migration and invasion, and increase in adhesion were observed in 5637 cells and BIU87 cells. However, there was no significant change in the proliferation of 5637 cells or BIU87 cells with or without inhibition of the fascin gene.

CONCLUSIONS

Fascin expression can be used as a predictor for transformation and progression of urothelial carcinoma, and reduction of fascin levels may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

IL-6 augmented motility of airway epithelial cell BEAS-2B via Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway

Cell migration plays a pivotal role in airway repair and remodeling involved in respiratory diseases such as asthma. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and fascin-1 are involved in cell migration upon stimulation; however, the roles of IL-6 and fascin-1 in migration of airway epithelial cell remain sketchy. The present study was aimed to investigate influence of IL-6 on cell motility with emphasis on the association with fascin-1. Wound healing assay and transmigration assay were performed to examine effect of IL-6 on migration and invasiveness of human bronchial epithelial cell BEAS-2B. Level of mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR and quantitative real-time RT-PCR (Q-PCR). Involvement of kinase and transcription factor signaling in IL-6-induced cell migration was investigated using immunoblot and specific inhibitors. IL-6 significantly augmented cell migration and invasiveness in parallel with elevated fascin-1 expression. Further investigation showed that IL-6 dose-dependently upregulated fascin-1 expression in both mRNA and protein levels. We showed that IL-6 activated Akt and inhibited glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), highly associating with fascin-1 mRNA expression. Additionally, IL-6-induced migration was significantly diminished by phosphatidyl inositol 3-phosphate kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (wortamannin) and β-catenin inhibitor FH535. Moreover, LiCl and SB216763, inhibitors of GSK-3β augmented cell migration as well as fascin-1 mRNA expression. Conclusively, these findings reveal that IL-6-induced migration of BEAS-2B cell may be attributed to activation of Akt, inhibition of GSK-3β, and the associated increase of β-catenin and fascin-1 expression, indicating an important role of Akt/GSK-3β signaling and β-catenin/fascin-1 in IL-6 associated airway remodeling.

The therapeutic effect of cytokine-induced killer cells on pancreatic cancer enhanced by dendritic cells pulsed with K-ras mutant peptide

OBJECTIVE

This study is to investigate the role of the CIKs cocultured with K-ras-DCs in killing of pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1 (K-ras(+)) and SW1990 (K-ras(-)).

METHODS

CIKs induced by IFN-γ, IL-2, and anti-CD3 monoantibody, K-ras-DCCIKs obtained by cocultivation of k-ras-DCs and CIKs. Surface markers examined by FACS. IFN-γ IL-12 ,CCL19 and CCL22 detected by ELISA. Proliferation of various CIKs tested via 3H-TdR. Killing activities of k-ras-DCCIKs and CTLs examined with 125IUdR.

RESULTS

CD3(+)CD56(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+) were highly expressed by K-ras-DCCIKs. In its supernatant, IFN-γ, IL-12, CCL19 and CCL22 were significantly higher than those in DCCIK and CIK. The killing rate of K-ras-DCCIK was greater than those of CIK and CTL. CTL induced by K-ras-DCs only inhibited the PANC-1 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The k-ras-DC can enhance CIK's proliferation and increase the killing effect on pancreatic cancer cell. The CTLs induced by K-ras-DC can only inhibit PANC-1 cells. In this study, K-ras-DCCIKs also show the specific inhibition to PANC-1 cells, their tumor suppression is almost same with the CTLs, their total tumor inhibitory efficiency is higher than that of the CTLs.

Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) directly regulates cytokine-induced fascin expression and is required for breast cancer cell migration

The cytokines oncostatin M (OSM) and IL-6 promote breast cancer cell migration and metastasis. Both cytokines activate STAT3, a member of the STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) family of transcription factors. Through transcriptional regulation of its target genes, STAT3 controls a wide range of cellular processes, including cellular proliferation, oncogenesis, and cancer metastasis. Fascin is an actin-bundling protein involved in cell migration. Elevated levels of fascin expression are found in many metastatic cancers, and inhibition of fascin function by small chemical compounds leads to a block of tumor metastasis. In this work, we demonstrate that fascin is a direct STAT3 target gene in response to OSM and IL-6 in both mouse and human breast cancer cells. We show that NFκB also binds to the fascin promoter in response to cytokine treatment and this binding is STAT3-dependent. Both STAT3 and NFκB are required for the cytokine-induced expression of fascin in cancer cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that STAT3, in directly controlling fascin expression, is both necessary and sufficient for breast cancer cell migration.

Fascin protein is critical for transforming growth factor β protein-induced invasion and filopodia formation in spindle-shaped tumor cells

Fascin, an actin-bundling protein overexpressed in all carcinomas, has been associated with poor prognosis, shorter survival, and more metastatic diseases. It is believed that fascin facilitates tumor metastasis by promoting the formation of invasive membrane protrusions. However, the mechanisms by which fascin is overexpressed in tumors are not clear. TGFβ is a cytokine secreted by tumor and mesenchymal cells and promotes metastasis in many late stage tumors. The pro-metastasis mechanisms of TGFβ remain to be fully elucidated. Here we demonstrated that TGFβ induced fascin expression in spindle-shaped tumor cells through the canonical Smad-dependent pathway. Fascin was critical for TGFβ-promoted filopodia formation, migration, and invasion in spindle tumor cells. More importantly, fascin expression significantly correlates with TGFβ1 and TGFβ receptor I levels in a cohort of primary breast tumor samples. Our results indicate that elevated TGFβ level in the tumor microenvironment may be responsible for fascin overexpression in some of the metastatic tumors. Our data also suggest that fascin could play a central role in TGFβ-promoted tumor metastasis.

Fascin: Invasive filopodia promoting metastasis

Fascin is an evolutionarily conserved actin bundling protein that localizes to microspikes, filopodia and actin-based protrusions underneath the plasma membrane. fascin has received a lot of attention among cytoskeletal proteins because multiple clinical studies have implicated its expression in cancer progression and metastasis. this may be because fascin is not normally expressed in epithelial tissues and when it is upregulated as a part of a program of cancer cell epithelial to mesenchymal progression it confers special motility and invasion properties on cancer cells. in normal adult tissues, fascin expression is high in neurons and dendritic cells; both cell types have striking large filopodia and are highly motile. it is not clear how fascin promotes invasive motility in cancer cells, but many studies have implicated filopodia formation in motility and we have recently provided new evidence that fascin stabilizes actin bundles in invasive foot structures termed invadopodia in cancer cells Figure 1.1 Here we review some of the evidence implicating fascin in motility, invasion and cancer aggressiveness, and we speculate that by stabilizing actin, fascin provides cells with powerful invasive properties that may confer increased metastatic potential.

The tumor marker Fascin is strongly induced by the Tax oncoprotein of HTLV-1 through NF-κB signals

Oncogenic transformation of CD4+ T cells by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is understood as the initial step to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, a process that is mainly initiated by perturbation of cellular signaling by the viral Tax oncoprotein, a potent transcriptional regulator. In search of novel biomarkers with relevance to oncogenesis, we identified the tumor marker and actin-bundling protein Fascin (FSCN1) to be specifically and strongly up-regulated in both HTLV-1–transformed and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma patient-derived CD4+ T cells. Fascin is important for migration and metastasis in various types of cancer. Here we report that a direct link can exist between a single viral oncoprotein and Fascin expression, as the viral oncoprotein Tax was sufficient to induce high levels of Fascin. Nuclear factor-κB signals were important for Tax-mediated transcriptional regulation of Fascin in T cells. This suggests that Fascin up-regulation by Tax contributes to the development of HTLV-1–associated pathogenesis.

Xenobiotic metabolism, disposition, and regulation by receptors: from biochemical phenomenon to predictors of major toxicities

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Society of Toxicology, this special edition article reviews the history and current scope of xenobiotic metabolism and transport, with special emphasis on the discoveries and impact of selected "xenobiotic receptors." This overall research realm has witnessed dynamic development in the past 50 years, and several of the key milestone events that mark the impressive progress in these areas of toxicological sciences are highlighted. From the initial observations regarding aspects of drug metabolism dating from the mid- to late 1800's, the area of biotransformation research witnessed seminal discoveries in the mid-1900's and onward that are remarkable in retrospect, including the discovery and characterization of the phase I monooxygenases, the cytochrome P450s. Further research uncovered many aspects of the biochemistry of xenobiotic metabolism, expanding to phase II conjugation and phase III xenobiotic transport. This led to hallmark developments involving integration of genomic technologies to elucidate the basis for interindividual differences in response to xenobiotic exposures and discovery of nuclear and soluble receptor families that selectively "sense" the chemical milieu of the mammalian cell and orchestrate compensatory changes in gene expression programming to accommodate complex xenobiotic exposures. This review will briefly summarize these developments and investigate the expanding roles of xenobiotic receptor biology in the underlying basis of toxicological response to chemical agents.

Ah receptor antagonism inhibits constitutive and cytokine inducible IL6 production in head and neck tumor cell lines

There is increasing evidence that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) plays a role in tumor progression through numerous mechanisms. We have previously shown that, in certain cancer cell lines that are typically nonresponsive to cytokine-mediated IL6 induction, activation of the AHR with the agonist 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin derepresses the IL6 promoter and allows for synergistic induction following IL1β treatment. The mechanism by which this occurs involves liganded AHR binding upstream from the transcription start site and dismissing HDAC-containing corepressor complexes, giving rise to a promoter structure that is more amenable to NF-κB activation. This fact, combined with observations of multiple endogenously produced chemicals activating the AHR, led us to study its role in basal expression among high cytokine-producing cancer cell lines. The current study provides evidence that several head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines have a level of constitutively bound AHR at the IL6 promoter, allowing for higher basal and readily inducible IL6 transcription. Treatment of these cell lines with an AHR antagonist led to dismissal of the AHR from the IL6 promoter and recruitment of corepressor complexes, thus diminishing cytokine expression. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is typically a high cytokine-producing tumor type, with IL6 expression levels correlating with disease aggressiveness. For this reason, AHR antagonist treatment could represent a novel adjuvant therapy for patients, lowering pro-growth and antiapoptotic signaling with minimal systemic side effects.

Fascin is a predictor for invasiveness and recurrence of urothelial carcinoma of bladder

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the expression of fascin in bladder urothelial carcinoma, and to analyze its association with clinicopathologic features and prognosis of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of fascin, Ki-67, p53, CK20, and multidrug resistance gene (MDR) in 111 bladder urothelial carcinoma and 42 normal epithelial tissues. The association between fascin expression and clinicopathologic parameters and prognostic factors on tumor recurrence was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Ninety-four of 111 cases of bladder urothelial carcinoma showed positive fascin expression, while no fascin expression was detected in normal transitional epithelium. There was a significant difference in the expression of fascin in normal epithelium and bladder urothelial carcinoma (P = 0.000). Fascin expression was positively correlated with pT stage (P = 0.001) and tumor size (P = 0.011), while it had no association with age, gender, and tumor grade (P > 0.05). pT stage and the expression of fascin, Ki-67, p53, and CK20 were significantly correlated with urothelial carcinoma recurrence, and fascin expression was an independent factor predicting tumor recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Fascin expression was up-regulated in bladder urothelial carcinoma. Over-expression of fascin might play an important role in invasiveness and recurrence of bladder urothelial carcinoma. Fascin may be used as a prognostic marker and a new target for the treatment of bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Specificity protein 1 regulates fascin expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma as the result of the epidermal growth factor/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway activation

The overexpression of fascin in human carcinomas is associated with aggressive clinical phenotypes and poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the increased expression of fascin in cancer cells is largely unknown. Here, we identified a Sp1 binding element located at -70 to -60 nts of the FSCN1 promoter and validated that Sp1 specifically bound to this element in esophageal carcinoma cells. Fascin expression was enhanced by Sp1 overexpression and blocked by Sp1 RNAi knockdown. Specific inhibition of ERK1/2 decreased phosphorylation levels of Sp1, and thus suppressed the transcription of the FSCN1, resulting in the down-regulation of fascin. Stimulation with EGF could enhance fascin expression via activating the ERK1/2 pathway and increasing phosphorylation levels of Sp1. These data suggest that FSCN1 transcription may be subjected to the regulation of the EGF/EGFR signaling pathway and can be used as a viable biomarker to predict the efficacy of EGFR inhibitors in cancer therapies.

Fascin: a key regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics

Fascin is a 55 kDa actin-bundling protein and is an important regulatory element in the maintenance and stability of parallel bundles of filamentous actin in a variety of cellular contexts. Regulation of fascin function is under the control of a number of different signalling pathways that act in concert to spatially regulate the actin-binding properties of this protein. The ability of fascin to bind and bundle actin plays a central role in the regulation of cell adhesion, migration and invasion. Fascin has received considerable attention recently as an emerging key prognostic marker of metastatic disease. Studies are now underway to better understand the precise regulation of this protein in the context of tumour progression and to investigate fascin as a potential therapeutic target for a number of forms of cancer.

The functional significance of microRNA-145 in prostate cancer

Background:

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that have important roles in numerous cellular processes. Recent studies have shown aberrant expression of miRNAs in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. On the basis of miRNA microarray data, we found that miR-145 is significantly downregulated in prostate cancer.

Methods and results:

We investigated the expression and functional significance of miR-145 in prostate cancer. The expression of miR-145 was low in all the prostate cell lines tested (PC3, LNCaP and DU145) compared with the normal cell line, PWR-1E, and in cancerous regions of human prostate tissue when compared with the matched adjacent normal. Overexpression of miR-145 in PC3-transfected cells resulted in increased apoptosis and an increase in cells in the G2/M phase, as detected by flow cytometry. Investigation of the mechanisms of inactivation of miR-145 through epigenetic pathways revealed significant DNA methylation of the miR-145 promoter region in prostate cancer cell lines. Microarray analyses of miR-145-overexpressing PC3 cells showed upregulation of the pro-apoptotic gene TNFSF10, which was confirmed by real-time PCR and western analysis.

Conclusion:

One of the genes significantly upregulated by miR-145 overexpression is the proapoptotic gene TNFSF10. Therefore, modulation of miR-145 may be an important therapeutic approach for the management of prostate cancer.

Fascin expression in colorectal carcinomas

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of fascin expression in colorectal carcinoma.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of 167 consecutive, well-documented cases of primary colorectal adenocarcinoma for which archival material of surgical specimens from primary tumor resections were available. We chose a representative tissue sample block and examined fascin expression by immunohistochemistry using a primary antibody against "fascin". We calculated the "immunohistochemical score (IHS)" of fascin for each case, which was calculated from the multiplication of scores for the percentage of stained cells and the staining intensity.

RESULTS

Fascin immunoreactivity was observed in 59 (35.3%) of all cases with strong reactivity in 24 (14.4%), moderate reactivity in 25 (14.9%) and weak reactivity in 10 (6.0%) cases. Strong/moderate immunoreactivities were mostly observed in invasive fronts of the tumors or in both invasive and other areas. Fascin immunoreactivity scores were significantly higher in tumors with lymph node metastasis (p:0.002) and advanced stage presentation (p:0.007). There was no relation between fascin expression and age, gender, depth of invasion, distant metastasis or histological grade (p>0.05). There was a higher and statistically significant correlation between fascin immunoreactivity in the invasive borders of tumors and lymph node metastasis (r:0.747, p:0.005). In stage III/IV tumors, two-year survival was 92.2% in tumors without fascin immunoreactivity, and only 60.0% in tumors with a fascin IHS>10 (p:0.003).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that fascin is heterogeneously expressed in approximately one third of colorectal carcinomas with a significant association with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage and location. Moreover, these results indicate that fascin may have a role in the lymph node metastasis of colorectal carcinomas.