LIV-1 promotes prostate cancer epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and metastasis through HB-EGF shedding and EGFR-mediated ERK signaling

Hui Wen Lue, Xiaojian Yang, Ruoxiang Wang, Weiping Qian, Roy Z.H. Xu, Robert Lyles, Adeboye O. Osunkoya, Binhua P. Zhou, Robert L. Vessella, Majd Zayzafoon, Zhi Ren Liu, Haiyen E. Zhau, Leland W.K. Chung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

91 Scopus citations

Abstract

LIV-1, a zinc transporter, is an effector molecule downstream from soluble growth factors. This protein has been shown to promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancer cells. Despite the implication of LIV-1 in cancer growth and metastasis, there has been no study to determine the role of LIV-1 in prostate cancer progression. Moreover, there was no clear delineation of the molecular mechanism underlying LIV-1 function in cancer cells. In the present communication, we found increased LIV-1 expression in benign, PIN, primary and bone metastatic human prostate cancer. We characterized the mechanism by which LIV-1 drives human prostate cancer EMT in an androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells (ARCaP) prostate cancer bone metastasis model. LIV-1, when overexpressed in ARCaP E (derivative cells of ARCaP with epithelial phenotype) cells, promoted EMT irreversibly. LIV-1 overexpressed ARCaP E cells had elevated levels of HB-EGF and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and MMP 9 proteolytic enzyme activities, without affecting intracellular zinc concentration. The activation of MMPs resulted in the shedding of heparin binding-epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) from ARCaP E cells that elicited constitutive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation and its downstream extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. These results suggest that LIV-1 is involved in prostate cancer progression as an intracellular target of growth factor receptor signaling which promoted EMT and cancer metastasis. LIV-1 could be an attractive therapeutic target for the eradication of pre-existing human prostate cancer and bone and soft tissue metastases.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere27720
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume6
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 16 2011

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Childhood Cancer Registry – National Cancer InstituteP01CA098912
National Childhood Cancer Registry – National Cancer Institute

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General

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