PRRG4 regulates mitochondrial function and promotes migratory behaviors of breast cancer cells through the Src-STAT3-POLG axis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women worldwide. Most of the breast cancer death are due to disease recurrence and metastasis. Increasingly accumulating evidence indicates that mitochondria play key roles in cancer progression and metastasis. Our recent study revealed that transmembrane protein PRRG4 promotes the metastasis of breast cancer. However, it is not clear whether PRRG4 can affect the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells through regulating mitochondria function.

METHODS

RNA-seq analyses were performed on breast cancer cells expressing control and PRRG4 shRNAs. Quantitative PCR analysis and measurements of mitochondrial ATP content and oxygen consumption were carried out to explore the roles of PRRG4 in regulating mitochondrial function. Luciferase reporter plasmids containing different lengths of promoter fragments were constructed. Luciferase activities in breast cancer cells transiently transfected with these reporter plasmids were analyzed to examine the effects of PRRG4 overexpression on promoter activity. Transwell assays were performed to determine the effects of PRRG4-regulated pathway on migratory behaviors of breast cancer cells.

RESULTS

Analysis of the RNA-seq data revealed that PRRG4 knockdown decreased the transcript levels of all the mitochondrial protein-encoding genes. Subsequently, studies with PRRG4 knockdown and overexpression showed that PRRG4 expression increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content. Mechanistically, PRRG4 via Src activated STAT3 in breast cancer cells. Activated STAT3 in turn promoted the transcription of mtDNA polymerase POLG through a STAT3 DNA binding site present in the POLG promoter region, and increased mtDNA content as well as mitochondrial ATP production and oxygen consumption. In addition, PRRG4-mediated activation of STAT3 also enhanced filopodia formation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. Moreover, PRRG4 elevated migratory behaviors and mitochondrial function of breast cancer cells through POLG.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that PRRG4 via the Src-STAT3-POLG axis enhances mitochondrial function and promotes migratory behaviors of breast cancer cells.