Overexpression of TC-PTP in murine epidermis attenuates skin tumor formation

Oncogene. 2020 May;39(21):4241-4256. doi: 10.1038/s41388-020-1282-8. Epub 2020 Apr 14.

Abstract

T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP), encoded by Ptpn2, has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor during skin carcinogenesis. In the current study, we generated a novel epidermal-specific TC-PTP-overexpressing (K5HA.Ptpn2) mouse model to show that TC-PTP contributes to the attenuation of chemically induced skin carcinogenesis through the synergistic regulation of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, and PI3K/AKT signaling. We found overexpression of TC-PTP increased epidermal sensitivity to DMBA-induced apoptosis and it decreased TPA-mediated hyperproliferation, coinciding with reduced epidermal thickness. Inhibition of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, or AKT reversed the effects of TC-PTP overexpression on epidermal survival and proliferation. Mice overexpressing TC-PTP in the epidermis developed significantly reduced numbers of tumors during skin carcinogenesis and presented a prolonged latency of tumor initiation. Examination of human papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) revealed that TC-PTP expression was significantly reduced and TC-PTP expression was inversely correlated with the increased grade of SCCs. Our findings demonstrate that TC-PTP is a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of human skin cancer given that it is a major negative regulator of oncogenic signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / enzymology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Survival
  • Epidermis / metabolism*
  • Epidermis / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Papilloma / enzymology*
  • Papilloma / genetics
  • Papilloma / pathology
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 2 / biosynthesis*
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 2 / genetics
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Skin Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Skin Neoplasms / genetics
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • PTPN2 protein, human
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 2
  • Ptpn2 protein, mouse