Downregulation of lumican accelerates lung cancer cell invasion through p120 catenin

Cell Death Dis. 2018 Apr 1;9(4):414. doi: 10.1038/s41419-017-0212-3.

Abstract

The overexpression of lumican has been found in lung cancer cells; however, the functional role of lumican in lung cancer cells remains unclear. In this study, we found lumican functioned as a tubulin-binding protein and the depletion of lumican by transfection with its specific shRNA increased lung cancer cell invasion. Such alterations led to morphological changes and actin cytoskeleton remodeling, including the induction of membrane ruffling or protrusion and stress fiber formation, correlated with the increased activities of Rac and Rho. The downregulation of lumican was also implicated in macrophage-conditioned media (maCM)-induced cell invasion. Immunofluorescence images and immunoprecipitation assays revealed the co-localization of p120-catenin (p120ctn) and lumican. Reduction in the levels of p120ctn induced membrane ruffling and the activation of the Rho family, which accelerated cell invasion. Our data indicated that lumican is associated with microtubule-modulated p120ctn signaling, providing important insights into lung cancer progression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actin Cytoskeleton
  • Catenins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Culture Media, Conditioned / pharmacology
  • Delta Catenin
  • Down-Regulation
  • Humans
  • Lumican / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Lumican / genetics
  • Lumican / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Macrophages / cytology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Tubulin / metabolism
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Catenins
  • Culture Media, Conditioned
  • Lumican
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Tubulin
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins
  • Delta Catenin
  • CTNND1 protein, human