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Huber MC, Mall R, Braselmann H, Feuchtinger A, Molatore S, Lindner K, Walch A, Gross E, Schmitt M, Falkenberg N, Aubele M. uPAR enhances malignant potential of triple-negative breast cancer by directly interacting with uPA and IGF1R. BMC Cancer 2016; 16:615. [PMID: 27502396 PMCID: PMC4977758 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2663-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to lack of a targeted therapy for the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, it is important to explore this aggressive breast cancer type in more detail and to establish novel therapeutic approaches. TNBC is defined negative for the protein expression of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). One prominent feature of this cancer type is the frequent overexpression of major components of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator system (uPAS) including uPA, its receptor uPAR and the inhibitor PAI-1, which may be valuable as therapeutic targets. METHODS Direct interactions of uPAR with interactors were demonstrated by immunoprecipitations and proximity ligation assays. For stable knockdowns of target proteins, lentiviral vectors were used and the effects were analysed by immunoblottings and using in vitro cell viability, migration and invasion assays. Immunohistochemical and statistical analyses of biomarkers and clinical parameters were conducted in a TNBC cohort (n = 174). RESULTS Direct tumour-promoting interactions of uPAR with uPA and the insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 (IGF1R) were shown in TNBC cells and these interactions were significantly reduced (p = 0.001) when uPAR was downregulated. The combined knockdown of uPAR and uPA or IGF1R additively and significantly reduced cell viability, migration and invasion of the model cell lines. In TNBC tissue, the complexes formed by uPAR with uPA or with IGF1R significantly correlated with the histological grade (p = 0.0019) as well as with cathepsin B and D (p ≤ 0.0001) that are implicated in cell invasion and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS Our outcomes show that not only overexpressed biomarkers promote tumourigenesis, but rather their interactions further potentiate tumour progression. This study emphasises the potential of combined approaches targeting uPAR and its interactors with regard to an improved therapy of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela C Huber
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Mall
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Herbert Braselmann
- Research Unit of Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Annette Feuchtinger
- Research Unit of Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sara Molatore
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Katrin Lindner
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Axel Walch
- Research Unit of Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Eva Gross
- Tumor Genetics Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, München, Germany
| | - Manfred Schmitt
- Clinical Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675, München, Germany
| | - Natalie Falkenberg
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michaela Aubele
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
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Rantala J, Kemppainen S, Ndode-Ekane XE, Lahtinen L, Bolkvadze T, Gurevicius K, Tanila H, Pitkänen A. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator deficiency has little effect on seizure susceptibility and acquired epilepsy phenotype but reduces spontaneous exploration in mice. Epilepsy Behav 2015; 42:117-28. [PMID: 25506794 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), a serine protease, converts plasminogen to plasmin. Activation of plasmin leads to degradation of the extracellular matrix, which is critical for tissue recovery, angiogenesis, cell migration, and axonal and synaptic plasticity. We hypothesized that uPA deficiency would cause an abnormal neurophenotype and would lead to exacerbated epileptogenesis after brain injury. Wild-type (Wt) and uPA-/- mice underwent a battery of neurologic behavioral tests evaluating general reactivity, spontaneous exploratory activity, motor coordination, pain threshold, fear and anxiety, and memory. We placed particular emphasis on the effect of uPA deficiency on seizure susceptibility, including the response to convulsants (pentylenetetrazol, kainate, or pilocarpine) and kainate-induced epileptogenesis and epilepsy. The uPA-/- mice showed no motor or sensory impairment compared with the Wt mice. Hippocampus-dependent spatial memory also remained intact. The uPA-/- mice, however, exhibited reduced exploratory activity and an enhanced response to a tone stimulus (p<0.05 compared with the Wt mice). The urokinase-type plasminogen activator deficient mice showed no increase in spontaneous or evoked epileptiform electrographic activity. Rather, the response to pilocarpine administration was reduced compared with the Wt mice (p<0.05). Also, the epileptogenesis and the epilepsy phenotype after intrahippocampal kainate injection were similar to those in the Wt mice. Taken together, uPA deficiency led to diminished interest in the environmental surroundings and enhanced emotional reactivity to unexpected aversive stimuli. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator deficiency was not associated with enhanced seizure susceptibility or worsened poststatus epilepticus epilepsy phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Rantala
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - S Kemppainen
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - X E Ndode-Ekane
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - L Lahtinen
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tamuna Bolkvadze
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - K Gurevicius
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - H Tanila
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, PO Box 1777, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - A Pitkänen
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, PO Box 1777, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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