Antonio Barbáchano

RhoA–ROCK and p38MAPK-MSK1 mediate vitamin D effects on gene expression, phenotype, and Wnt pathway in colon cancer cells

The active vitamin D metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) inhibits proliferation and promotes differentiation of colon cancer cells through the activation of vitamin D receptor (VDR), a transcription factor of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Additionally, 1,25(OH)2D3 has several nongenomic effects of uncertain relevance. We show that 1,25(OH)2D3 induces a transcription-independent Ca2+ influx and activation of RhoA–Rho-associated coiled kinase (ROCK). This requires VDR and is followed by activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and mitogen- and stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1). As shown by the use of chemical inhibitors, dominant-negative mutants and small interfering RNA, RhoA–ROCK, and p38MAPK-MSK1 activation is necessary for the induction of CDH1/E-cadherin, CYP24, and other genes and of an adhesive phenotype by 1,25(OH)2D3. RhoA–ROCK and MSK1 are also required for the inhibition of Wnt–β-catenin pathway and cell proliferation. Thus, the action of 1,25(OH)2D3 on colon carcinoma cells depends on the dual action of VDR as a transcription factor and a nongenomic activator of RhoA–ROCK and p38MAPK-MSK1.

Vitamin D Is a Multilevel Repressor of Wnt/b-Catenin Signaling in Cancer Cells

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is abnormally activated in most colorectal cancers and in a proportion of other neoplasias. This activation initiates or contributes to carcinogenesis by regulating the expression of a large number of genes in tumor cells. The active vitamin D metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling by several mechanisms at different points along the pathway. Additionally, paracrine actions of 1,25(OH)2D3 on stromal cells may also repress this pathway in neighbouring tumor cells. Here we review the molecular basis for the various mechanisms by which 1,25(OH)2D3 antagonizes Wnt/β-catenin signaling, preferentially in human colon carcinoma cells, and the consequences of this inhibition for the phenotype and proliferation rate. The effect of the vitamin D system on Wnt/β-catenin signaling and tumor growth in animal models will also be commented in detail. Finally, we revise existing data on the relation between vitamin D receptor expression and vitamin D status and the expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway genes and targets in cancer patients.

SPROUTY-2 and E-cadherin regulate reciprocally and dictate colon cancer cell tumourigenicity

SPROUTY-2 (SPRY2) regulates receptor tyrosine kinase signalling and therefore cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we show that SPRY2 expression in colon cancer cells is inhibited by the active vitamin D metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) through E-cadherin-dependent and -independent mechanisms. In turn, SPRY2 represses both basal and 1,25(OH)2D3-induced E-cadherin expression. In line with this, SPRY2 induces ZEB1 RNA and protein, but not that of other epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition inducers that repress the CDH1/E-cadherin promoter. Consistently, SPRY2 and E-cadherin protein levels inversely correlate in colon cancer cell lines and xenografted tumours. Moreover, SPRY2 knockdown by small hairpin RNA increases CDH1/E-cadherin expression and, reciprocally, CDH1/E-cadherin knockdown increases that of SPRY2. In colon cancer patients, SPRY2 is upregulated in undifferentiated high-grade tumours and at the invasive front of low-grade carcinomas. Quantification of protein expression in 34 tumours confirmed an inverse correlation between SPRY2 and E-cadherin. Our data demonstrate a tumourigenic action of SPRY2 that is based on the repression of E-cadherin, probably by the induction of ZEB1, and a reciprocal regulation of SPRY2 and E-cadherin that dictates cell phenotype. We propose SPRY2 as a candidate novel marker for high-grade tumours and a target of therapeutic intervention in colon cancer.

SPROUTY2 is a β-catenin and FOXO3a target gene indicative of poor prognosis in colon cancer

SPROUTY2 (SPRY2) is an intracellular regulator of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling involved in cell growth, differentiation and tumorigenesis. Here, we show that SPRY2 is a target gene of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway that is abnormally activated in more than 90% of colon carcinomas. In human colon cancer cells, SPRY2 expression is induced by β-catenin in co-operation with the transcription factor FOXO3a instead of lymphoid enhancer factor/T-cell factor proteins. We found binding of β-catenin to the SPRY2 promoter at FOXO3a response elements. In vivo, cells marked by nuclear β-catenin and FOXO3a express SPRY2 in proliferative epithelial tissues, such as intestinal mucosa and epidermis. Consistently, inducible β-catenin deletion in mice reduced Spry2 expression in the small intestine. Moreover, SPRY2 protein expression correlated with nuclear β-catenin and FOXO3a colocalization in human colon carcinomas. Importantly, the amount of SPRY2 protein correlated with shorter overall survival of colon cancer patients. Our data reveal SPRY2 as a novel Wnt/β-catenin and FOXO3a target gene indicative of poor prognosis in colon cancer.

CD49f labels an organoid-forming mouse urothelial cell population with stem cell features

Resumen del poster presentado al 15th Meeting of the International Bladder Cancer Network (IBCN), celebrado en Lisboa (Portugal) del 21 al 23 de octubre de 2017.

Wnt Pathway at a Glance: From the Deep of the Crypts to the Current Ways of Targeting

Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway is crucial for the formation of many tissues and organs during development. In recent years, this pathway has also been found to regulate the biology of stem cells in the intestine and probably in other organs in adult life. Abnormal activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, which controls the expression of a high number of genes, is critical for the initiation and progression of most colorectal cancers. In line with this, the gene expression signature induced by activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway defines the intestinal stem cells present at the bottom of the crypts and also colon cancer stem cells. This supports the importance of inhibitors of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway as potential agents in colorectal cancer therapy. However, the complexity, wide activity in the organism modulating the biology of several cell types, and characteristics of this pathway have delayed the identification of suitable targets and so, the development of such inhibitors that are only now reaching the clinic.