title: FGFR1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is a novel target for antiangiogenic effects of the cancer drug fumagillin (TNP-470).
abstract: Fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF1), a prototypic member of the FGF family, is a potent angiogenic factor. Although FGF-stimulated angiogenesis has been extensively studied, the molecular mechanisms regulating FGF1-induced angiogenesis are poorly understood in vivo. Fumagillin, an antiangiogenic fungal metabolite, has the ability to inhibit FGF-stimulated angiogenesis in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). In the current study, chicken CAMs were transfected with a signal peptide-containing version of the FGF1 gene construct (sp-FGF1). Transfected CAMs were then analyzed in the presence and absence of fumagillin treatment with respect to the mRNA expression levels and protein activity of the FGF1 receptor protein (FGFR1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and its immediate downstream target, AKT-1 (protein kinase B). Treatment of sp-FGF1-transfected CAMs with fumagillin showed downregulation for both PI3K and AKT-1 proteins in mRNA expression and protein activity. In contrast, no major alterations in FGFR1 mRNA expression level were observed. Similar patterns of mRNA expression for the above three proteins were observed when the CAMs were treated with recombinant FGF1 protein in place of sp-FGF1 gene transfection. Investigation using biotin-labeled fumagillin showed that only the FGF1 receptor protein containing the cytoplasmic domain demonstrated binding to fumagillin. Furthermore, we demonstrated endothelial-specificity of the proposed antiangiogenic signaling cascade using an in vitro system. Based on these findings, we conclude that the binding of fumagillin to the cytoplasmic domain of the FGF1 receptor inhibited FGF1-stimulated angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biology and Translational Medicine, College of Medicine, The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weylie
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forough
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002645:Chickens; D049033:Chorioallantoic Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003510:Cyclohexanes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D003510:Cyclohexanes; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; C026211:fumagillin; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt