Pericyte FAK negatively regulates Gas6/Axl signalling to suppress tumour angiogenesis and tumour growth.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Lechertier T
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7272651 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Receptor tyrosine kinases of the Axl family are activated by the vitamin K-dependent protein Gas6. Axl signalling plays important roles in cancer, spermatogenesis, immunity, and platelet function. The crystal structure at 3.3 A resolution of a minimal human Gas6/Axl complex reveals an assembly of 2:2 stoichiometry, in which the two immunoglobulin-like domains of the Axl ectodomain are crosslinked by the first laminin G-like domain of Gas6, with no direct Axl/Axl or Gas6/Gas6 contacts. There are two distinct Gas6/Axl contacts of very different size, both featuring interactions between edge beta-strands. Structure-based mutagenesis, protein binding assays and receptor activation experiments demonstrate that both the major and minor Gas6 binding sites are required for productive transmembrane signalling. Gas6-mediated Axl dimerisation is likely to occur in two steps, with a high-affinity 1:1 Gas6/Axl complex forming first. Only the minor Gas6 binding site is highly conserved in the other Axl family receptors, Sky/Tyro3 and Mer. Specificity at the major contact is suggested to result from the segregation of charged and apolar residues to opposite faces of the newly formed beta-sheet.
| S-EPMC1356355 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Microglia and astrocytes are the main CNS glial cells responsible for the neuroinflammatory response, where they release a plethora of cytokines into the CNS inflammatory milieu. The TAM (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) receptors and their main ligand Gas6 are regulators of this response, however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be determined. We investigated the ability of Gas6 to modulate the CNS glial inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a strong pro-inflammatory agent, through a qPCR array that explored Toll-like receptor signalling pathway-associated genes in primary cultured mouse microglia. We identified the Csf2 gene, encoding granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), as a major Gas6 target gene whose induction by LPS was markedly blunted by Gas6. Both the Csf2 gene induction and the suppressive effect of Gas6 on this were emulated through measurement of GM-CSF protein release by cells. We found distinct profiles of GM-CSF induction in different glial cell types, with microglia being most responsive during inflammation. Also, Gas6 markedly inhibited the LPS-stimulated nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 protein in microglia. These results illustrate microglia as a major resident CNS cellular source of GM-CSF as part of the neuroinflammatory response, and that Gas6/TAM signalling inhibits this response through suppression of NF-κB signalling.
| S-EPMC8699038 | biostudies-literature
Project description:AXL receptor tyrosine kinase ligand (AXL), a tyrosine kinase receptor that is commonly overexpressed in numerous types of cancer, significantly promotes drug resistance and metastasis in tumor cells. Inhibition of the AXL/growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6) signaling pathway is emerging as a potential anticancer therapeutic strategy. In the present study, on the basis of the three-dimensional complex structure of AXL/Gas6, the critical residues (E56, E59 and T77) in AXL binding to Gas6 were determined using computer graphics analysis and the distance geometry method. Subsequently, four-variant AXL-ECD-Fc-M1 (G32S, D87G, V92A and G127R) and AXL-ECD-Fc-M2 (G32A, D87A, V92A and G127A) were predicted as high-affinity mutants; AXL-ECD-Fc-M3 (E56R and T77R) and AXL-ECD-Fc-M4 (E59R and T77R) were predicted as low-affinity mutants. The results of the present study revealed that the half-maximal effect concentrations of AXL-ECD-Fc-M1 and AXL-ECD-Fc-M2 were ~0.141 and 0.375 µg/ml, respectively, whereas that of the wild-type protein (AXL-ECD-Fc-WT) was 0.514 µg/ml. Furthermore, adding the high-affinity mutants into culture medium to capture free Gas6 significantly inhibited AXL/Gas6 binding and thus blocked the downstream signaling pathway. In addition, the high-affinity mutants effectively suppressed the migration and metastasis of SKOV3 and A549 cells. Conversely, compared with AXL-ECD-Fc-WT, the low-affinity AXL mutants AXL-ECD-Fc-M3 and AXL-ECD-Fc-M4 lost all inhibitory activities. These findings highlight AXL as a potential therapeutic target and demonstrated that the key residues E56, E59 and T77 may be crucial sites for abolishing the activity of the AXL/Gas6 pathway in cancer therapy.
| S-EPMC6507473 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed in many cancer types and in vivo studies have shown that vascular endothelial cell FAK expression and FAK-phosphorylation at tyrosine (Y) 397, and subsequently FAK-Y861, are important in tumour angiogenesis. Pericytes also play a vital role in regulating tumour blood vessel stabilisation, but the specific involvement of pericyte FAK-Y397 and FAK-Y861 phosphorylation in tumour blood vessels is unknown. Using PdgfrβCre + ;FAKWT/WT, PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY397F/Y397F and PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY861F/Y861F mice, our data demonstrate that Lewis lung carcinoma tumour growth, tumour blood vessel density, blood vessel perfusion and pericyte coverage were affected only in late stage tumours in PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY861F/Y861F but not PdgfrβCre + ;FAKY397F/Y397F mice. Further examination indicates a dual role for pericyte FAK-Y861 phosphorylation in the regulation of tumour vessel regression and also in the control of pericyte derived signals that influence apoptosis in cancer cells. Overall this study identifies the role of pericyte FAK-Y861 in the regulation of tumour vessel regression and tumour growth control and that non-phosphorylatable FAK-Y861F in pericytes reduces tumour growth and blood vessel density.
| S-EPMC8292267 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Genetic ablation of endothelial focal adhesion kinase (FAK) can inhibit pathological angiogenesis, suggesting that loss of endothelial FAK is sufficient to reduce neovascularization. Here we show that reduced stromal FAK expression in FAK-heterozygous mice unexpectedly enhances both B16F0 and CMT19T tumour growth and angiogenesis. We further demonstrate that cell proliferation and microvessel sprouting, but not migration, are increased in serum-stimulated FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells. FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells display an imbalance in FAK phosphorylation at pY397 and pY861 without changes in Pyk2 or Erk1/2 activity. By contrast, serum-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt is enhanced in FAK-heterozygous endothelial cells and these cells are more sensitive to Akt inhibition. Additionally, low doses of a pharmacological FAK inhibitor, although too low to affect FAK autophosphorylation in vitro, can enhance angiogenesis ex vivo and tumour growth in vivo. Our results highlight a potential novel role for FAK as a nonlinear, dose-dependent regulator of angiogenesis where heterozygous levels of FAK enhance angiogenesis.
| S-EPMC3712492 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase that plays a fundamental role in integrin and growth factor mediated signalling and is an important player in cell migration and proliferation, processes vital for angiogenesis. However, the role of FAK in adult pathological angiogenesis is unknown. We have generated endothelial-specific tamoxifen-inducible FAK knockout mice by crossing FAK-floxed (FAKfl/fl) mice with the platelet derived growth factor b (Pdgfb)-iCreER mice. Tamoxifen-treatment of Pdgfb-iCreER;FAKfl/fl mice results in FAK deletion in adult endothelial cells (ECs) without any adverse effects. Importantly however, endothelial FAK-deletion in adult mice inhibited tumour growth and reduced tumour angiogenesis. Furthermore, in in vivo angiogenic assays FAK deletion impairs vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced neovascularization. In addition, in vitro deletion of FAK in ECs resulted in reduced VEGF-stimulated Akt phosphorylation and correlating reduced cellular proliferation as well as increased cell death. Our data suggest that FAK is required for adult pathological angiogenesis and validates FAK as a possible target for anti-angiogenic therapies.
| S-EPMC3377344 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer that promotes tumor progression and metastasis. However, antiangiogenic agents have limited efficacy in cancer therapy due to the development of resistance. In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), AXL expression is associated with antiangiogenic resistance and poor survival. Here, we establish a role for GAS6/AXL signaling in promoting the angiogenic potential of ccRCC cells through the regulation of the plasminogen receptor S100A10. Genetic and therapeutic inhibition of AXL signaling in ccRCC tumor xenografts reduced tumor vessel density and growth under the renal capsule. GAS6/AXL signaling activated the expression of S100A10 through SRC to promote plasmin production, endothelial cell invasion, and angiogenesis. Importantly, treatment with the small molecule AXL inhibitor cabozantinib or an ultra-high affinity soluble AXL Fc fusion decoy receptor (sAXL) reduced the growth of a pazopanib-resistant ccRCC patient-derived xenograft. Moreover, the combination of sAXL synergized with pazopanib and axitinib to reduce ccRCC patient-derived xenograft growth and vessel density. These findings highlight a role for AXL/S100A10 signaling in mediating the angiogenic potential of ccRCC cells and support the combination of AXL inhibitors with antiangiogenic agents for advanced ccRCC. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is regulated through AXL/S100A10 signaling and support the combination of AXL inhibitors with antiangiogenic agents for the treatment of RCC.
| S-EPMC7015045 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE:MFG-E8 (also called lactadherin and SED1) is a secreted glycoprotein that has been previously implicated in enhancement of vascular endothelial growth factor-dependent angiogenesis. Major sources of MFG-E8 in vivo and precise mechanisms of MFG-E8 action remain undetermined. The objective of this study was to identify important sources of MFG-E8 in vivo and further elucidate the role(s) of MFG-E8 in the regulation of angiogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS:We used knockout mice and anti-MFG-E8 antibodies to study MFG-E8 function in vivo. In melanomas and in retinas of mice with oxygen-induced retinopathy, MFG-E8 colocalized with pericytes rather than endothelial cells, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor ?+ pericytes/pericyte precursors purified from tumors contained large amounts of MFG-E8 mRNA. Tumor- and retinopathy-associated angiogenesis was diminished in MFG-E8 knockout mice, and pericyte coverage of neovessels was reduced. Inhibition of MFG-E8 production by 10T1/2 cells (surrogate pericyte/pericyte precursors) using small interfering RNAs and short hairpin RNAs, or inhibition of MFG-E8 action with some anti-MFG-E8 antibodies, selectively attenuated migration in vitro. Significantly, the anti-MFG-E8 antibodies that inhibited 10T1/2 cell migration in vitro also inhibited pathological angiogenesis in vivo. CONCLUSIONS:These studies strongly implicate MFG-E8 in pericyte/pericyte precursor function and indicate that MFG-E8-directed therapeutics may merit further development.
| S-EPMC3184509 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Notch signalling is a causal determinant of cancer and efforts have been made to develop targeted therapies to inhibit the so-called canonical pathway. Here we describe an unexpected pro-apoptotic role of Notch3 in regulating tumour angiogenesis independently of the Notch canonical pathway. The Notch3 ligand Jagged-1 is upregulated in a fraction of human cancer and our data support the view that Jagged-1, produced by cancer cells, is inhibiting the apoptosis induced by the aberrant Notch3 expression in tumour vasculature. We thus present Notch3 as a dependence receptor inducing endothelial cell death while this pro-apoptotic activity is blocked by Jagged-1. Along this line, using Notch3 mutant mice, we demonstrate that tumour growth and angiogenesis are increased when Notch3 is silenced in the stroma. Consequently, we show that the well-documented anti-tumour effect mediated by ?-secretase inhibition is at least in part dependent on the apoptosis triggered by Notch3 in endothelial cells.
| S-EPMC5520050 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The dynamic interplay between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is regulated by multiple signaling pathways which can lead to cancer progression and therapy resistance. We have previously demonstrated that hMENA, a member of the actin-regulatory protein of Ena/VASP family, and its tissue specific isoforms influence a number of intracellular signaling pathways related to cancer progression. Here, we report a novel function of hMENA/hMENA?v6 isoforms in tumor-promoting CAFs and in the modulation of pro-tumoral cancer cell/CAF crosstalk via GAS6/AXL axis regulation. LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis revealed that CAF over-expressing hMENA?v6 secret the AXL ligand GAS6, favoring the invasiveness of AXL-expressing PDAC and NSCLC cells. Reciprocally, hMENA/hMENA?v6 regulate AXL expression in tumor cells, thus sustaining GAS6-AXL axis, reported as crucial in EMT, immune evasion and drug resistance. Clinically we found that a high hMENA/GAS6/AXL gene expression signature is associated with a poor prognosis in pancreatic (PDAC) and lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We argue that hMENA contributes to cancer progression through paracrine tumor-stroma crosstalk, with far-reaching novel prognostic and therapeutic implications for tailored therapies in NSCLC and PDAC.
| S-SCDT-EMBOR-2020-50078-T | biostudies-other