Integrin alpha6beta4 controls the expression of genes associated with cell motility, invasion, and metastasis, including S100A4/metastasin.
The integrin alpha6beta4 is associated with carcinoma progression by contributing to apoptosis resistance, invasion, and metastasis, due in part to the activation of select transcription factors. To identify genes regulated by the alpha6beta4 integrin, we compared gene expression profiles of MDA-MB-435 cells that stably express integrin alpha6beta4 (MDA/beta4) and vector-only-transfected cells (MDA/mock) using Affymetrix GeneChip analysis. Our results show that integrin alpha6beta4 altered the expression of 538 genes (p < 0.01). Of these genes, 36 are associated with pathways implicated in cell motility and metastasis, including S100A4/metastasin. S100A4 expression correlated well with integrin alpha6beta4 expression in established cell lines. Suppression of S100A4 by small interference RNA resulted in a reduced capacity of alpha6beta4-expressing cells to invade a reconstituted basement membrane in response to lysophosphatidic acid. Using small interference RNA, promoter analysis, and chromatin immunoprecipitation, we demonstrate that S100A4 is regulated by NFAT5, thus identifying the first target of NFAT5 in cancer. In addition, several genes that are known to be regulated by DNA methylation were up-regulated dramatically by integrin alpha6beta4 expression, including S100A4, FST, PDLIM4, CAPG, and Nkx2.2. Notably, inhibition of DNA methyltransferases stimulated expression of these genes in cells lacking the alpha6beta4 integrin, whereas demethylase inhibitors suppressed expression in alpha6beta4 integrin-expressing cells. Alterations in DNA methylation were confirmed by bisulfate sequencing, thus suggesting that integrin alpha6beta4 signaling can lead to the demethylation of select promoters. In summary, our data suggest that integrin alpha6beta4 confers a motile and invasive phenotype to breast carcinoma cells by regulating proinvasive and prometastatic gene expression.
Chen
Min
M
Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
Sinha
Mala
M
Luxon
Bruce A
BA
Bresnick
Anne R
AR
O'Connor
Kathleen L
KL
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D038681:Follistatin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D000071999:S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C503233:FST protein, human; D038681:Follistatin; D000090322:Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C118125:NFAT5 protein, human; C000715631:NKX2-2 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C486247:PDLIM4 protein, human; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000071999:S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4; D009418:S100 Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C000715630:nkx2.2b protein, zebrafish; C077591:S100A4 protein, human; C066575:CAPG protein, human