title: Activation of c-Met in colorectal carcinoma cells leads to constitutive association of tyrosine-phosphorylated beta-catenin.
abstract: Increased expression and/or activity of c-Met, the receptor protein tyrosine kinase for hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor, occurs commonly during colon tumor progression. To examine potential roles for c-Met in promoting metastasis, we compared the colon tumor cell line KM12C with low metastatic potential to the isogenic variants KM,12L4 and KM12SM with high metastatic potential. KM12C cells express c-Met with low levels of tyrosine phosphorylation in the absence of HGF. The high metastatic cells express a c-Met that is constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated, they have increased colony formation, and are minimally responsive to HGF relative to the parental cells. Tyrosine-phosphorylated beta-catenin was constitutively associated with c-Met in the more metastatic cells, but was inducible only after HGF addition in the less metastatic cells. Functions mediated by beta-catenin, including cell-cell adhesion and migration, and activation of the tcf (T-cell factor) family of transcription factors, were also elevated in the more metastatic KM12SM and L4 cells. Furthermore, analysis of the known tcf transcriptional target genes, cyclin D1, c-Myc, and uPAR, demonstrated increased expression in the high metastatic cells, correlating with the levels of tcf activity. Collectively, these results suggest that endogenous activation of c-Met in highly metastatic KM12SM CRC cells results in increased survival and growth under anchorage independent conditions, increased in vitro migration, and elevated levels of tcf target genes. Thus, beta-catenin association with activated c-Met may contribute to a more aggressive liver metastatic phenotype of these cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77401, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Herynk
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tsan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radinsky
authors.forename: Gary E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Gallick
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D019938:Cyclin D1; D014443:Tyrosine; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D008156:Luciferases; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases