title: Urokinase signaling through its receptor protects against anoikis by increasing BCL-xL expression levels.
abstract: The acquired capabilities of resistance to apoptotic cell death and tissue invasion are considered to be obligate steps in tumor progression. The binding of the serine protease urokinase (uPA) to its receptor (uPAR) plays a central role in the molecular events coordinating tumor cell adhesion, migration, and invasion. Here we investigate whether uPAR signaling may also prevent apoptosis following loss of anchorage (anoikis) or DNA damage. If nontransformed human retinal pigment epithelial cells are pre-exposed to uPA or to its noncatalytic amino-terminal region (residues 1-135), they exhibit a markedly reduced susceptibility to anoikis as well as to UV-induced apoptosis. This anti-apoptotic effect is retained by a uPA-derived synthetic peptide corresponding to the receptor binding domain and is inhibited by anti-uPAR polyclonal antibodies. Furthermore, the stable reduction of uPA or uPAR expression by RNA interference leads to an increased susceptibility to UV-, cisplatin-, and detachment-induced apoptosis. In particular, the level of uPAR expression positively correlates with cell resistance to anoikis. The protective ability of uPA is prevented by UO126, LY294002, by an MAPK targeting small interference RNA, and by a dominant negative Akt variant. Accordingly, incubation of retinal pigment epithelial cells with uPA elicits a time-dependent enhancement of MAPK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activities as well as the transcriptional activation of Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic factor. Vice versa, the silencing of Bcl-xL expression prevents uPA protection from anoikis. In conclusion, the data show that ligand engagement of uPAR promotes cell survival by activating Bcl-xL transcription through the MEK/ERK- and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt-dependent pathways.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Biophysics Adriano Buzzati-Traverso, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.forename: Ingram
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iaccarino
authors.forename: M Patrizia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Stoppelli
mesh_terms: D023102:Anoikis / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000502:physiology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator