Osteosarcoma cell intrinsic PD-L2 signals promote invasion and metastasis via the RhoA-ROCK-LIMK2 and autophagy pathways

Cell Death Dis. 2019 Mar 18;10(4):261. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1497-1.

Abstract

Known as co-stimulatory molecule, programmed death ligand-2 (PD-L2) contributes to T-cell exhaustion by interaction with programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor, but its tumor cell-intrinsic signal effects have been little investigated. PD-L2 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 18 pairs of primary osteosarcoma tissues and matching lung metastasis tissues. We also investigated the effects of PD-L2 knockdown on osteosarcoma both in vitro and in vivo. In our study, PD-L2 expression was elevated in lung metastases compared with primary osteosarcoma according to an immunohistochemistry assay. Wound-healing and transwell assays revealed that PD-L2 knockdown leaded to inhibition of migration and invasion of human osteosarcoma cells in vitro. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that PD-L2 knockdown attenuated migration and invasion by inactivating RhoA-ROCK-LIMK2 signaling, suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and inhibiting autophagy by decreasing beclin-1 expression. In support of these observations, beclin-1 knockdown also inhibited activation of the RhoA-ROCK-LIMK2 pathway, leading to autophagy inhibition-induced blockade of migration and invasion. Depletion of PD-L2 in KHOS cells markedly weakens pulmonary metastatic potential in vivo by orthotopic transplantation of nude mice. Our study reveals a pro-metastatic functional mechanism for PD-L2 in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, we demonstrate a regulatory role for PD-L2 on autophagy, as well as a relationship between autophagy and metastasis in osteosarcoma, which may represent a potential therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autophagosomes / metabolism
  • Autophagosomes / ultrastructure
  • Autophagy / genetics*
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type II / genetics
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type II / metabolism
  • Bone Neoplasms / genetics
  • Bone Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lim Kinases / genetics
  • Lim Kinases / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Osteosarcoma / genetics
  • Osteosarcoma / metabolism*
  • Osteosarcoma / pathology
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein / genetics
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein / metabolism*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • rho-Associated Kinases / genetics
  • rho-Associated Kinases / metabolism
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / genetics
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein
  • RGMB protein, human
  • RHOA protein, human
  • LIMK2 protein, human
  • Lim Kinases
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • BMPR2 protein, human
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type II
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein