Rab11 suppresses head and neck carcinoma by regulating EGFR and EpCAM exosome secretion.

OBJECTIVES: Rab11(Rab11a and Rab11b) localizes primarily along recycling endosomes in cells and is involved in various intracellular trafficking processes, including membrane receptor recycling and secretion of exosomes or small extracellular vesicles (EVs). Although Rab11 is closely associated with the progression and metastasis of various cancer types, little is known about Rab11' role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study, we investigated the roles of Rab11a and Rab11b in HNSCC. METHODS: The clinical significance of Rab11 expression in HNSCC was investigated using a public database and tissue microarray analysis. Stable cell lines with loss and gain of Rab11a or Rab11b were originally established to investigate their roles in the proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities of HNSCC cells. RESULTS: Database analysis revealed a significant association between Rab11b mRNA expression and a favorable patient survival rate in HNSCC. Tissue microarray analysis revealed that Rab11b expression was the highest in normal tissues and gradually decreased across the stages of HNSCC progression. Overexpression of Rab11a or Rab11b resulted in a decrease in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) exosome secretion, and the migratory and invasive potential of HNSCC cells. The knockdown of Rab11a or Rab11b increased EpCAM/CD9 exosome secretion in addition to the migratory and invasive potential of HNSCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Rab11 suppresses HNSCC by regulating EGFR recycling and EpCAM exosome secretion in HNSCC cells. Our results indicate that Rab11b is a superior prognostic indicator of HNSCC and holds promise for developing novel therapeutic strategies.

HSP90 drives the Rab11a-mediated vesicular transport of the cell surface receptors in osteoclasts.

Rab11a, which ubiquitously localizes to early and recycling endosomes, is required for regulating the vesicular transport of cellular cargos. Interestingly, our previous study revealed that Rab11a served as a negative regulator of osteoclastogenesis by facilitating the lysosomal proteolysis of (1) colony-stimulating factor-1 (c-fms) receptor and (2) receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) receptor, thereby resulting in inhibition of osteoclast (OC) differentiation, maturation, and bone-resorbing activity. However, the molecular mechanisms of how Rab11a negatively affected osteoclastogenesis were largely unknown. Heat shock protein (HSP90), including two isoforms HSP90α and HSP90ß, necessitates the stability, maturation, and activity of a broad range of its clients, and is essentially required for a vast array of signal transduction pathways in nonstressful conditions. Furthermore, cumulative evidence suggests that HSP90 is a vital element of the vesicular transport network. Indeed, our recent study revealed that HSP90, a novel effector protein of Rab11b, modulated Rab11b-mediated osteoclastogenesis. In this study, we also found that Rab11a interacted with both HSP90α and HSP90ß in OCs. Upon blockade of HSP90 ATPase activity by a specific inhibitor(17-allylamino-demethoxygeldanamycin), we showed that (1) the ATPase domain of HSP90 was a prerequisite for the interaction between HSP90 and Rab11a, and (2) the interaction of HSP90 to Rab11a sufficiently maintained the inhibitory effects of Rab11a on osteoclastogenesis. Altogether, our findings undoubtedly indicate a novel role of HSP90 in regulating Rab11a-mediated osteoclastogenesis.

Rab34 plays a critical role as a bidirectional regulator of osteoclastogenesis.

Accumulating evidence suggests that Rab GTPases representing the largest branch of Ras superfamily have recently emerged as the core factors for the regulation of osteoclastogenesis through modulating vesicular transport amongst specific subcellular compartments. Among these, Rab34 GTPase has been identified to be important for the post-Golgi secretory pathway and for phagocytosis; nevertheless, its specific role in osteoclastogenesis has been completely obscure. Here, upon the in vitro model of osteoclast formation derived from murine macrophages like RAW-D cells or bone marrow-derived macrophages, we reveal that Rab34 regulates osteoclastogenesis bidirectionally. More specifically, Rab34 serves as a negative regulator of osteoclast differentiation by promoting the lysosome-induced proteolysis of two osteoclastogenic surface receptors, c-fms and RANK, via the axis of early endosomes-late endosomes-lysosomes, leading to alleviate the transcriptional activity of two of the master regulator of osteoclast differentiation, c-fos and NFATc-1, eventually attenuating osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Besides, Rab34 plays a crucial role in modulating the secretory network of lysosome-related proteases including matrix metalloprotease 9 and Cathepsin K across the ruffled borders of osteoclasts, contributing to the regulation of bone resorption.