title: DCC regulates cell adhesion in human colon cancer derived HT-29 cells and associates with ezrin.
abstract: The deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene encodes a 170- to 190-kDa protein of the Immunoglobulin superfamily. Firstly identified as a tumor suppressor gene in human colorectal carcinomas, the main function for DCC has been described in the nervous system as part of a receptor complex for netrin-1. Moreover, roles in mucosecretory cell differentiation and as inducer of apoptosis have also been reported. DCC knockout mice supported a crucial role for this gene in axonal migration, yet questioned its implication in tumor suppression and mucosecretory differentiation. The work presented here demonstrates that a DCC-transfected HT-29 colonic human cell line (HT-29/DCC) displays an increase in cell-cell adhesion to the detriment of cell-matrix interactions: HT-29/DCC cells exhibit more and better-structured desmosomes while focal adhesions and hemidesmosomes are disrupted. HT-29/DCC cells show no changes in adherent junctions but upon treatment with TPA, HT-29/DCC cells show resistance to scattering, and maintain E-cadherin in the membrane. In addition, the actin cytoskeleton is affected in HT-29/DCC cells: stress fibers are disrupted while cortical actin remains intact. We identified a putative ERM-M (ezrin/radixin/moesin and merlin) binding domain in the juxtamembrane region of the DCC protein. In vitro pull-down assays demonstrate the interaction of the DCC cytoplasmic domain with the N-terminal region of ezrin and merlin, and co-immunoprecipitation assays in transiently DCC-transfected COS-1 cells showed that the interaction between DCC and ezrin also takes place in vivo. Altogether, our results suggest that DCC could regulate cell adhesion and migration through its association with ERM-M proteins.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Biologia Cel.lular i Molecular, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. merce.martin@inserm.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: Mercè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simon-Assmann
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kedinger
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mangeat
authors.forename: Francisco X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Real
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabre
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000075389:DCC Receptor; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D025581:Neurofibromin 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D000099149:Ezrin
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D000075389:DCC Receptor; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D025581:Neurofibromin 2; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000099149:Ezrin; C501909:DCC protein, human; C071058:moesin