Blood platelets stimulate cancer extravasation through TGF?-mediated downregulation of PRH/HHEX.

ABSTRACT: Cancer cells go through a process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during which they acquire the ability to migrate and invade extracellular matrix. Some cells also acquire the ability to move across a layer of endothelial cells to enter and exit the bloodstream; intra- and extravasation, respectively. The transcription factor PRH/HHEX (proline-rich homeodomain/haematopoietically expressed homeobox) controls cell proliferation and cell migration/invasion in a range of cell types. Our previous work showed that PRH activity is downregulated in prostate cancer cells owing to increased inhibitory PRH phosphorylation and that this increases cell proliferation and invasion. PRH inhibits migration and invasion by prostate and breast epithelial cells in part by activating the transcription of Endoglin, a transforming growth factor ? (TGF?) co-receptor. Here we show that depletion of PRH in immortalised prostate epithelial cells results in increased extravasation in vitro. We show that blood platelets stimulate extravasation of cells with depleted PRH and that inhibition of TGF? signalling blocks the effects of platelets on these cells. Moreover, TGF? induces changes characteristic of EMT including decreased E-Cadherin expression and increased Snail expression. We show that in prostate cells PRH regulates multiple genes involved in EMT and TGF? signalling. However, both platelets and TGF? increase PRH phosphorylation. In addition, TGF? increases binding of its effector pSMAD3 to the PRH/HHEX promoter and downregulates PRH protein and mRNA levels. Thus, TGF? signalling downregulates PRH activity by multiple mechanisms and induces an EMT that facilitates extravasation and sensitises cells to TGF?.

SUBMITTER: Marcolino E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7000753 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature