Analysis of secretome changes uncovers an autocrine/paracrine component in the modulation of cell proliferation and motility by c-Myc

J Proteome Res. 2011 Dec 2;10(12):5326-37. doi: 10.1021/pr200584y. Epub 2011 Nov 8.

Abstract

Proteins secreted by cancer cells are a major component of tumor microenvironment. However, little is known on the impact of single oncogenic lesions on the expression of secreted proteins at early stages of tumor development. Because c-Myc overexpression is among the most frequent alterations in cancer, here we investigated the effect of sustained c-Myc expression on the secretome of a nontransformed human epithelial cell line (hT-RPE). By using a quantitative proteomic approach, we have identified 125 proteins in conditioned media of hT-RPE/MycER cells upon c-Myc induction. Analysis of the 49 proteins significantly down-regulated by c-Myc revealed a marked enrichment of factors associated with growth inhibition and cellular senescence. Accordingly, media conditioned by hT-RPE cells expressing c-Myc show an increased ability to sustain hT-RPE cellular proliferation/viability. We also find a marked down-regulation of several structural and regulatory components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which correlates with an increased chemotactic potency of the conditioned media toward fibroblasts, a major cellular component of tumor stroma. In accordance with these data, the expression of the majority of the genes encoding proteins down-regulated in hT-RPE was significantly reduced also in colorectal adenomatous polyps, early tumors in which c-Myc is invariably overexpressed. These findings help to elucidate the significance of c-Myc overexpression at early stages of tumor development and uncover a remarkable autocrine/paracrine component in the ability of c-Myc to stimulate proliferation, sustain tumor maintenance, and modulate cell migration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autocrine Communication*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Cell Survival
  • Cellular Senescence
  • Chemotaxis
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Computational Biology
  • Culture Media, Conditioned / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Mice
  • Paracrine Communication*
  • Proteomics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism*
  • Swiss 3T3 Cells
  • Transcriptional Activation

Substances

  • Culture Media, Conditioned
  • MYC protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc