The Kindlin2-p53-SerpinB2 signaling axis is required for cellular senescence in breast cancer

Cell Death Dis. 2019 Jul 15;10(8):539. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1774-z.

Abstract

In cancer, cellular senescence is a complex process that leads to inhibition of proliferation of cells that may develop a neoplastic phenotype. A plethora of signaling pathways, when dysregulated, have been shown to elicit a senescence response. Two well-known tumor suppressor pathways, controlled by the p53 and retinoblastoma proteins, have been implicated in maintaining the cellular senescence phenotype. Kindlin-2, a member of an actin cytoskeleton organizing and integrin activator proteins, has been shown to play a key role in the regulation of several hallmarks of several cancers, including breast cancer (BC). The molecular mechanisms whereby Kindlin-2 regulates cellular senescence in BC tumors remains largely unknown. Here we show that Kindlin-2 regulates cellular senescence in part through its interaction with p53, whereby it regulates the expression of the p53-responsive genes; i.e., SerpinB2 and p21, during the induction of senescence. Our data show that knockout of Kindlin-2 via CRISPR/Cas9 in several BC cell lines significantly increases expression levels of both SerpinB2 and p21 resulting in the activation of hallmarks of cellular senescence. Mechanistically, interaction between Kindlin-2 and p53 at the promotor level is critical for the regulated expression of SerpinB2 and p21. These findings identify a previously unknown Kindlin-2/p53/SerpinB2 signaling axis that regulates cellular senescence and intervention in this axis may serve as a new therapeutic window for BCs treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cellular Senescence*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / metabolism
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 2 / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*

Substances

  • CDKN1A protein, human
  • Cdkn1a protein, mouse
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • FERMT3 protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 2
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Trp53 protein, mouse
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • kindlin-2 protein, mouse