title: Nuclear PTHrP targeting regulates PTHrP secretion and enhances LoVo cell growth and survival.
abstract: Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is expressed by human colon cancer tissue and cell lines; expression correlates with colon carcinoma severity. PTHrP is synthesized as a prepro isoform and contains two targeting sequences - a signal sequence and a nuclear localization signal (NLS). The signal peptide (SP) directs PTHrP to the secretory pathway, where it exerts autocrine/paracrine effects. The NLS directs PTHrP to the nucleus/nucleolus, where it exerts intracrine effects. In this study, we used the human colon cancer cell line LoVo as a model system to study the effects of autocrine/paracrine and intracrine PTHrP action on cell growth and survival, hallmarks of malignant tumor cells. We report that PTHrP increases cell growth and survival, protects cells from serum-starvation-induced apoptosis, and promotes anchorage-independent cell growth via an intracrine pathway. Conversely, autocrine/paracrine PTHrP action decreases cell growth and survival. We also show an inverse relationship between secreted and nuclear PTHrP levels, in that cells overexpressing NLS-deleted PTHrP secrete higher PTHrP levels than those overexpressing the wild-type isoform. Conversely, SP deletion results in higher nuclear PTHrP levels. These observations provide evidence of a link between intracrine PTHrP action and cell growth and survival. Targeting PTHrP production in colon cancer may thus prove therapeutically beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falzon
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein