IFITM3 promotes bone metastasis of prostate cancer cells by mediating activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway

Cell Death Dis. 2019 Jul 4;10(7):517. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1750-7.

Abstract

Advanced-stage prostate cancer (PCa) is often diagnosed with bone metastasis, for which there are limited therapies. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is known to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and abundance of TGF-β in the bone matrix is one of the important growth factors contributing to bone metastasis. TGF-β is reported as a key mediator of bone metastasis, but the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated. It was found in our study that Interferon-inducible Transmembrane Protein 3 (IFITM3) played a key role in the regulation of malignant tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and bone migration by binding to Smad4, thus activating the TGF-β-Smads Signaling Pathway. Lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) knockdown of IFITM3 inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation, induced apoptosis and inhibited migration by reversing EMT and downregulating the expression of metastasis-related molecules including FGFs and PTHrP. Microarray analysis showed that IFITM3 knockdown could alter the MAPK pathway associated with TGF-β-Smads signaling. By knocking down and overexpressing IFITM3, we demonstrated that IFITM3 expression level had an effect on MAPK pathway activation, and this change was more pronounced upon exogenous TGF-β stimulation. These results suggest that IFITM3 played an oncogenic role in PCa progression and bone metastasis via a novel TGF-β-Smads-MAPK pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Bone Neoplasms / genetics
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Ontology
  • Gene Silencing
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice, Nude
  • Models, Biological
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Smad4 Protein / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism*
  • Tumor Stem Cell Assay

Substances

  • IFITM3 protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Smad4 Protein
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta