Monica Schiappacassi

Stathmin activity influences sarcoma cell shape, motility, and metastatic potential

The balanced activity of microtubule-stabilizing and -destabilizing proteins determines the extent of microtubule dynamics, which is implicated in many cellular processes, including adhesion, migration, and morphology. Among the destabilizing proteins, stathmin is overexpressed in different human malignancies and has been recently linked to the regulation of cell motility. The observation that stathmin was overexpressed in human recurrent and metastatic sarcomas prompted us to investigate stathmin contribution to tumor local invasiveness and distant dissemination. We found that stathmin stimulated cell motility in and through the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro and increased the metastatic potential of sarcoma cells in vivo. On contact with the ECM, stathmin was negatively regulated by phosphorylation. Accordingly, a less phosphorylable stathmin point mutant impaired ECM-induced microtubule stabilization and conferred a higher invasive potential, inducing a rounded cell shape coupled with amoeboid-like motility in three-dimensional matrices. Our results indicate that stathmin plays a significant role in tumor metastasis formation, a finding that could lead to exploitation of stathmin as a target of new antimetastatic drugs.

p27kip1 controls cell morphology and motility by regulating microtubule-dependent lipid raft recycling

ABSTRACT p27kip1 (p27) is an inhibitor of cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase complexes, whose nuclear loss indicates a poor prognosis in various solid tumors. When located in the cytoplasm, p27 binds Op18/stathmin (stathmin), a microtubule (MT)-destabilizing protein, and restrains its activity. This leads to MT stabilization, which negatively affects cell migration. Here, we demonstrate that this p27 function also influences morphology and motility of cells immersed in three-dimensional (3D)matrices. Cells lacking p27 display a decrease in MT stability, a rounded shape when immersed in 3D environments, and a mesenchymal-amoeboid conversion in their motility mode. Upon cell contact to extracellular matrix, the decreased MT stability observed in p27 null cells results in accelerated lipid raft trafficking and increased RhoA activity. Importantly, cell morphology, motility, MT network composition, and distribution of p27 null cells were rescued by the concomitant genetic ablation of Stathmin, implicating that the balanced expression of p27 and stathmin represents a crucial determinant for cytoskeletal organization and cellular behavior in 3D contexts.

The globular domains of PG-M/versican modulate the proliferation–apoptosis equilibrium and invasive capabilities of tumor cells

To dissect the role of the globular domains of PGM/versican—a large hyaluronan binding proteoglycan (PG) enriched in tumor lesions—we have stably transduced a human leiomyosarcoma cell line with either the G1 or G3 domain of the PG and subsequently assayed the effect of this manipulation on several cellular processes in vitro and in vivo. G1‐ and G3‐overexpressing cells were found to exhibit an enhanced growth that was more accentuated in the absence of serum components and was seen both when cells were cultured on ECM substrates and in the absence of ECM anchorage. Accordingly, if inoculated subcutaneously into nude mice, G1 transfectants formed larger tumor masses than control cells at the site of implantation, albeit after a certain latency period. Upon binding to cell surface CD44, proliferation of G1‐, but not G3‐, overexpressing cells were dose dependently inhibited by exogenous hyaluronan (HA) or HA fragments. G1‐ and G3‐transduced cells did not differ in their intrinsic ability to adhere and migrate on various purified ECM components, whereas G1‐overproducing sarcoma cells were more invasive than the corresponding G3 mutants, and their locomotion was perturbed by exogenous HA. The augmented anchorage‐independent growth exhibited solely by G1‐transduced was largely ascribable to a reduced apoptotic rate, thereby indicating a shift in the proliferation–apoptosis equilibrium of the cells toward the former. In fact, G1‐overexpressing cells appeared resistant to both cytotoxic drug‐induced and Fas‐dependent programmed cell death, and this resistance implicated mitochondrial apoptotic genes. The results indicate that the terminal domains of versican may differentially control propagation of tumor cells and diversely modulate their responses to environmental HA.

p27Kip1 expression inhibits glioblastoma growth, invasion, and tumor-induced neoangiogenesis

The tumor suppressor gene CDKN1B encodes for a 27-kDa cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitory protein, p27Kip1, which together with its well-established role in the inhibition of cell proliferation, displays additional activities in the control of gene transcription and cell motility. p27Kip1 thus represents a good candidate for a gene therapy approach, especially in those cancers refractory to the conventional therapies, like human glioblastoma. Here, we show that overexpression of p27Kip1 in glioblastoma cell lines induced cell cycle arrest and inhibition of cell motility through extracellular matrix substrates. The use of adenoviral vectors in the treatment of glioblastoma in vivo showed that p27Kip1 was able to block not only cancer cell growth but also local invasion and tumor-induced neoangiogenesis. The latter effect was due to the ability of p27 to impair both endothelial cell growth and motility, thus preventing proper vessel formation in the tumor. The block of neoangiogenesis depended on cytoplasmic p27Kip1 antimigratory activity and was linked to its ability to bind to and inhibit the microtubule-destabilizing protein stathmin. Our work provides the first evidence that a successful p27Kip1-based gene therapy is linked to tumor microenvironment modification, thus opening new perspectives to the use of gene therapy approaches for the treatment of refractory cancers. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(5):1164–75]

MULTIMERIN2 impairs tumor angiogenesis and growth by interfering with VEGF-A/VEGFR2 pathway.

MULTIMERIN2 (MMRN2), also known as Endoglyx-1, is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein whose function has so far remained elusive. Given its specific localization in tight association with the endothelium we hypothesized that this protein could modulate neo-angiogenesis. By multiple assays we showed that MMRN2 significantly impaired endothelial cell (EC) migration and organization of a functional vessel network. The interaction of ECs with MMRN2 induced a striking impairment of VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 activation. We focused our attention on VEGFR2, a chief regulator of angiogenesis, and clarified that MMRN2 interfered with the VEGF/VEGFR2 axis through a direct binding with VEGF-A. This novel interaction was assessed in several assays and the affinity was estimated (Kd∼50 nM). We next questioned whether the anti-angiogenic properties of MMRN2 could impair tumor growth. Although overexpression of MMRN2 by HT1080 cells did not affect their growth and apoptotic rate in vitro, it remarkably affected their growth in vivo. In fact, MMRN2-positive cells failed to efficiently grow and form well-vascularized tumors; a similar outcome was observed following treatment of established tumors with a MMRN2 adenoviral construct. Tumor-section immunostaining revealed a strong co-localization of VEGF-A with the ectopically expressed MMRN2. These novel findings suggest that VEGF may be sequestered by MMRN2 and be less available for the engagement to the receptors. Taken together these results highlight MMRN2 as a crucial player in the regulation of EC function, neo-angiogenesis and hence tumor growth. We hypothesize that secreted and deposited MMRN2 may function as a homeostatic barrier halting the sprouting of novel vessels, and suggest that these studies may embody the potential for the development of novel tools for cancer treatment.

Role of T198 modification in the regulation of p27Kip1 protein stability and function

The tumor suppressor gene p27Kip1 plays a fundamental role in human cancer progression. Its expression and/or functions are altered in almost all the different tumor histotype analyzed so far. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the tumor suppression function of p27 resides not only in the ability to inhibit Cyclins/CDKs complexes through its N-terminal domain but also in the capacity to modulate cell motility through its C-terminal portion. Particular interest has been raised by the last amino-acid, (Threonine 198) in the regulation of both protein stability and cell motility. Here, we describe that the presence of Threonine in position 198 is of primary importance for the regulation of the protein stability and for the control of cell motility. However, while the control of cell motility is dependent on the phosphorylation of T198, the stability of the protein is specifically controlled by the steric hindrance of the last amino acid. The effects of T198 modification on protein stability are not linked to the capacity of p27 to bind Cyclins/CDKs complexes and/or the F-box protein Skp2. Conversely, our results support the hypothesis that conformational changes in the disordered structure of the C-terminal portion of p27 are important in its ability to be degraded via a proteasome-dependent mechanism. On the other hand T198 phosphorylation favors p27/stathmin interaction eventually contributing to the regulation of cell motility, supporting the hypothesis that the presence of T198 is fundamental for the regulation of p27 functions.

Stathmin regulates mutant p53 stability and transcriptional activity in ovarian cancer

Stathmin is a p53‐target gene, frequently overexpressed in late stages of human cancer progression. Type II High Grade Epithelial Ovarian Carcinomas (HG‐EOC) represents the only clear exception to this observation. Here, we show that stathmin expression is necessary for the survival of HG‐EOC cells carrying a p53 mutant (p53MUT) gene. At molecular level, stathmin favours the binding and the phosphorylation of p53MUT by DNA‐PKCS, eventually modulating p53MUT stability and transcriptional activity. Inhibition of stathmin or DNA‐PKCS impaired p53MUT–dependent transcription of several M phase regulators, resulting in M phase failure and EOC cell death, both in vitro and in vivo. In primary human EOC a strong correlation exists between stathmin, DNA‐PKCS, p53MUT overexpression and its transcriptional targets, further strengthening the relevance of the new pathway here described. Overall our data support the hypothesis that the expression of stathmin and p53 could be useful for the identification of high risk patients that will benefit from a therapy specifically acting on mitotic cancer cells.

Differential expression of mucins 1–6 in papillary thyroid carcinoma: evidence for transformation-dependent post-translational modifications of MUC1 in situ

Mucins are primary glycoproteins of epithelia that are known to undergo major changes in their post‐translational processing during neoplastic transformation. This study has examined the expression pattern of seven primary mucins, ie mucin (MUC) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5AC, 5B and 6, in normal, hyperplastic, benign neoplastic, and papillary‐type carcinoma (PTC) tissues of the thyroid. MUC1 and MUC5B were the only mucins to be widely transcribed in both benign and malignant tissues. In contrast, MUC4 transcripts were undetectable in normal thyroids, and were present in only 40% of the hyperplastic and malignant thyroid tissues. In PTC, MUC1 was identified as a single mRNA transcript, rejecting the idea that this mucin may undergo transformation‐dependent alternative splicing in thyroid tumours. The tissue distribution of MUC1 and MUC4 proteins was highly heterogeneous: this largely paralleled their mRNA expression profiles and supported the conclusion that whereas MUC1 was ubiquitously expressed in PTC, MUC4 was detectable in less than 20% of the cases analysed. In order to determine whether post‐translational modifications of MUC1, putatively associated with malignancy, also occurred in the mucin produced by PTC, immunohistochemistry was performed with a panel of well‐characterized anti‐MUC1 antibodies in conjunction with digestion of the tissue sections with deglycosylating enzymes. These experiments, which were supported by immunochemical analyses of the MUC1 and MUC4 glycoforms extracted from tissues, collectively demonstrated markedly divergent MUC1 glycosylation profiles in normal and benign thyroid tissues when compared with PTC. Characteristically, these latter neoplastic cells produced mucin molecules carrying complex poly‐N‐lactosamine‐type glycans capped with fucose and neuraminic acid residues. The present study also found evidence in PTC for the potential presence of proteolytically processed MUC1 isoforms which differ in their post‐translational traits depending on whether they are retained on the cell surface or secreted into the extracellular space. It is proposed that the observed differences in the glycosylation properties of normal and neoplastic MUC1 may be exploitable as an ancillary tool in the diagnosis of PTC. Copyright

p27kip1 controls H-Ras/MAPK activation and cell cycle entry via modulation of MT stability.

Significance Different functions have been ascribed to p27kip1, originally identified as a universal cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor, fundamental for the control of cell proliferation and tumor progression. Yet, not all p27 functions can be explained by its ability to bind and inhibit CDKs. Here, we demonstrate that p27kip1 controls cell cycle entry also through a CDK-independent function, by regulating microtubule stability. Following growth factor stimulation, p27kip1 prevents full activation of H-Ras, acting on its subcellular compartmentalization, eventually restraining the activation of the MAPK pathway. Our work provides additional understanding of the mechanisms regulating the cell cycle and anticipates potential implications in diseases characterized by deregulated proliferation, such as cancer. The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p27kip1 is a critical regulator of the G1/S-phase transition of the cell cycle and also regulates microtubule (MT) stability. This latter function is exerted by modulating the activity of stathmin, an MT-destabilizing protein, and by direct binding to MTs. We recently demonstrated that increased proliferation in p27kip1-null mice is reverted by concomitant deletion of stathmin in p27kip1/stathmin double-KO mice, suggesting that a CDK-independent function of p27kip1 contributes to the control of cell proliferation. Whether the regulation of MT stability by p27kip1 impinges on signaling pathway activation and contributes to the decision to enter the cell cycle is largely unknown. Here, we report that faster cell cycle entry of p27kip1-null cells was impaired by the concomitant deletion of stathmin. Using gene expression profiling coupled with bioinformatic analyses, we show that p27kip1 and stathmin conjunctly control activation of the MAPK pathway. From a molecular point of view, we observed that p27kip1, by controlling MT stability, impinges on H-Ras trafficking and ubiquitination levels, eventually restraining its full activation. Our study identifies a regulatory axis controlling the G1/S-phase transition, relying on the regulation of MT stability by p27kip1 and finely controlling the spatiotemporal activation of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway.

Genetic characterization of p27(kip1) and stathmin in controlling cell proliferation in vivo.

The CDK inhibitor p27kip1 is a critical regulator of cell cycle progression, but the mechanisms by which p27kip1 controls cell proliferation in vivo are still not fully elucidated. We recently demonstrated that the microtubule destabilizing protein stathmin is a relevant p27kip1 binding partner. To get more insights into the in vivo significance of this interaction, we generated p27kip1 and stathmin double knock-out (DKO) mice. Interestingly, thorough characterization of DKO mice demonstrated that most of the phenotypes of p27kip1 null mice linked to the hyper-proliferative behavior, such as the increased body and organ weight, the outgrowth of the retina basal layer and the development of pituitary adenomas, were reverted by co-ablation of stathmin. In vivo analyses showed a reduced proliferation rate in DKO compared to p27kip1 null mice, linked, at molecular level, to decreased kinase activity of CDK4/6, rather than of CDK1 and CDK2. Gene expression profiling of mouse thymuses confirmed the phenotypes observed in vivo, showing that DKO clustered with WT more than with p27 knock-out tissue. Taken together, our results demonstrate that stathmin cooperates with p27kip1 to control the early phase of G1 to S phase transition and that this function may be of particular relevance in the context of tumor progression.