Ligand activation of alternatively spliced fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 modulates pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell malignancy.
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma continues to be a devastating tumor (28,000 new cases per year in the United States; 10% 2-year survival). Pancreatic adenocarcinoma frequently (90% of the time) overexpresses fibroblast growth factor ligands (FGF-1 and FGF-2) and alternatively spliced high-affinity receptors (FGFR-1beta) (FGFR-1alpha was previously found in normal pancreatic tissue). To study the significance of this observation in vitro, PANC-1 cells were stably transfected via the pMEXneo vector containing FGFR-1alpha (PANC-1alpha) or FGFR-1beta (PANC-1beta) isoforms. Cells were treated with 1 mg/ml of 5-fluorouracil. Cells were evaluated for growth inhibition, apoptosis (propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry, caspase 3 activation) and for Bcl-x(L)/BAX expression (by Western blot analysis). In vivo, 7 x 10(6) cells of each isoform were injected into nude Balb/c mice for xenograft formation (N = 10). Compared to PANC-1beta (9%) in vitro, 5-fluorouracil-induced death was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in PANC-1alpha (20%) at 24 hours. Increased cell death in PANC-1alpha was mediated by activated caspase 3 and was correlated with decreased expression of Bcl-x(L)/BAX. In vivo, PANC-1beta readily demonstrated formation of tumor xenograft at 2 weeks, whereas PANC-1alpha did not form tumors. Alternative splicing of FGFR-1 to the beta isoform appears to correlate with pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell growth in vivo and resistance to chemotherapy. Inhibition of FGFR-1 splicing or overexpression of FGFR-1alpha inhibits pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell growth in vivo and restores cytotoxic responses to chemotherapy, thereby suggesting the basis of rational interventional strategies for this devastating tumor.
Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1922 Seventh Avenue South, KB 405, Birmingham, AL 35294-0007, USA. smv@uab.edu
Selwyn M
SM
Vickers
Zhi-Qiang
ZQ
Huang
LeeAnn
L
MacMillan-Crow
Jessica S
JS
Greendorfer
John A
JA
Thompson
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
D008024:Ligands; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; C496348:FGFR1 protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1