RNAi-based functional selection identifies novel cell migration determinants dependent on PI3K and AKT pathways

Nat Commun. 2014 Oct 28:5:5217. doi: 10.1038/ncomms6217.

Abstract

Lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated genetic screening is a powerful tool for identifying loss-of-function phenotype in mammalian cells. Here, we report the identification of 91 cell migration-regulating genes using unbiased genome-wide functional genetic selection. Individual knockdown or cDNA overexpression of a set of 10 candidates reveals that most of these cell migration determinants are strongly dependent on the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway and on their downstream signals, such as FOXO1 and p70S6K1. ALK, one of the cell migration promoting genes, uniquely uses p55γ regulatory subunit of PI3K, rather than more common p85 subunit, to trigger the activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway. Our method enables the rapid and cost-effective genome-wide selection of cell migration regulators. Our results emphasize the importance of the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway as a point of convergence for multiple regulators of cell migration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Animals
  • Cell Movement*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Genome
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Mice
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / metabolism
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Protein Subunits
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • ALK protein, human
  • Alk protein, mouse
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase