Endothelin A receptor drives invadopodia function and cell motility through the β-arrestin/PDZ-RhoGEF pathway in ovarian carcinoma

Oncogene. 2016 Jun 30;35(26):3432-42. doi: 10.1038/onc.2015.403. Epub 2015 Nov 2.

Abstract

The endothelin-1 (ET-1)/ET A receptor (ETAR) signalling pathway is a well-established driver of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) progression. One key process promoted by ET-1 is tumor cell invasion, which requires the scaffolding functions of β-arrestin-1 (β-arr1) downstream of the receptor; however, the potential role of ET-1 in inducing invadopodia, which are crucial for cellular invasion and tumor metastasis, is completely unknown. We describe here that ET-1/ETAR, through β-arr1, activates RhoA and RhoC GTPase and downstream ROCK (Rho-associated coiled coil-forming kinase) kinase activity, promoting actin-based dynamic remodelling and enhanced cell invasion. This is accomplished by the direct interaction of β-arr1 with PDZ-RhoGEF (postsynaptic density protein 95/disc-large/zonula occludens-RhoGEF). Interestingly, ETAR-mediated invasive properties are related to the regulation of invadopodia, as evaluated by colocalization of actin with cortactin, as well as with TKS5 and MT1-MMP (membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase) with areas of matrix degradation, and activation of cofilin pathway, which is crucial for regulating invadopodia activity. Depletion of PDZ-RhoGEF, or β-arr1, or RhoC, as well as the treatment with the dual ET-1 receptor antagonist macitentan, significantly impairs invadopodia function, MMP activity and invasion, demonstrating that β-arr1/PDZ-RhoGEF interaction mediates ETAR-driven ROCK-LIMK-cofilin pathway through the control of RhoC activity. In vivo, macitentan is able to inhibit metastatic dissemination and cofilin phosphorylation. Collectively, our data unveil a noncanonical activation of the RhoC/ROCK pathway through the β-arr1/PDZ-RhoGEF complex as a regulator of ETAR-induced motility and metastasis, establishing ET-1 axis as a novel regulator of invadopodia protrusions through the RhoC/ROCK/LIMK/cofilin pathway during the initial steps of EOC invasion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actin Depolymerizing Factors / metabolism
  • Actins / metabolism
  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Movement / physiology*
  • Cortactin / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Lim Kinases / metabolism
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 / metabolism
  • Mice, Nude
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Podosomes / genetics
  • Podosomes / metabolism
  • Podosomes / physiology*
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptor, Endothelin A / genetics
  • Receptor, Endothelin A / metabolism*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics
  • Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • beta-Arrestins / genetics
  • beta-Arrestins / metabolism*
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • rho-Associated Kinases / metabolism
  • rhoC GTP-Binding Protein

Substances

  • ARHGEF11 protein, human
  • Actin Depolymerizing Factors
  • Actins
  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport
  • Cortactin
  • Receptor, Endothelin A
  • Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • SH3PXD2A protein, human
  • beta-Arrestins
  • LIMK1 protein, human
  • Lim Kinases
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 14
  • RHOC protein, human
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rhoC GTP-Binding Protein