ABSTRACT
In this study, we have examined the interaction of hyaluronan (HA)-CD44 with IQGAP1 (one of the binding partners for the Rho GTPase Cdc42) in SK-OV-3.ipl human ovarian tumor cells. Immunological and biochemical analyses indicated that IQGAP1 (molecular mass of approximately 190 kDa) is expressed in SK-OV-3.ipl cells and that IQGAP1 interacts directly with Cdc42 in a GTP-dependent manner. Both IQGAP1 and Cdc42 were physically linked to CD44 in SK-OV-3.ipl cells following HA stimulation. Furthermore, the HA-CD44-induced Cdc42-IQGAP1 complex regulated cytoskeletal function via a close association with F-actin that led to ovarian tumor cell migration. In addition, the binding of HA to CD44 promoted the association of ERK2 with the IQGAP1 molecule, which stimulated both ERK2 phosphorylation and kinase activity. The activated ERK2 then increased the phosphorylation of both Elk-1 and estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha), resulting in Elk-1- and estrogen-responsive element-mediated transcriptional up-regulation. Down-regulation of IQGAP1 (by treating cells with IQGAP1-specific small interfering RNAs) not only blocked IQGAP1 association with CD44, Cdc42, F-actin, and ERK2 but also abrogated HA-CD44-induced cytoskeletal function, ERK2 signaling (e.g. ERK2 phosphorylation/activity, ERK2-mediated Elk-1/ER alpha phosphorylation, and Elk-1/ER alpha-specific transcriptional activation), and tumor cell migration. Taken together, these findings indicate that HA-CD44 interaction with IQGAP1 serves as a signal integrator by modulating Cdc42 cytoskeletal function, mediating Elk-1-specific transcriptional activation, and coordinating "cross-talk" between a membrane receptor (CD44) and a nuclear hormone receptor (ER alpha) signaling pathway during ovarian cancer progression.
Subject(s)
Actins/metabolism , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Estrogen Receptor alpha/metabolism , Hyaluronan Receptors/physiology , Hyaluronic Acid/physiology , Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1/metabolism , Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism , Signal Transduction/physiology , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcriptional Activation , cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein/physiology , ras GTPase-Activating Proteins/physiology , Animals , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Movement , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Mice , Phosphorylation , RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology , Rats , ets-Domain Protein Elk-1ABSTRACT
The constitutive activation of the Stat3 oncogene product and mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor are both frequently detected in human breast cancer. We sought to determine whether there is functional regulation of Stat3 by wild-type (wt) p53. We demonstrate that expression of wt p53, but not mutant p53, significantly diminished phosphorylation of Stat3, reduced Stat3 DNA binding activity, and inhibited Stat3-dependent transcriptional activity in breast cancer cells expressing constitutively active Stat3. Expression of wt p53 did not cause a reduction in the phosphorylation of three unrelated protein kinases in other signal transduction pathways, AKT, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1, and ERK2 or a reduction of phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor. Furthermore, the expression of the p53 downstream target, p21(WAF-1), did not have an inhibitory effect on Stat3 phosphorylation. Wt p53 also induced significant apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines that express constitutively active Stat3. Interestingly, the p53-dependent apoptosis occurred in the presence of high levels of phosphorylated AKT and ERK1/2. Therefore, these findings demonstrate a novel p53-dependent cellular process that regulates Stat3 phosphorylation and activity.
