title: Upregulation of MMP-2 by HMGA1 promotes transformation in undifferentiated, large-cell lung cancer.
abstract: Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, the precise molecular mechanisms that give rise to lung cancer are incompletely understood. Here, we show that HMGA1 is an important oncogene that drives transformation in undifferentiated, large-cell carcinoma. First, we show that the HMGA1 gene is overexpressed in lung cancer cell lines and primary human lung tumors. Forced overexpression of HMGA1 induces a transformed phenotype with anchorage-independent cell growth in cultured lung cells derived from normal tissue. Conversely, inhibiting HMGA1 expression blocks anchorage-independent cell growth in the H1299 metastatic, undifferentiated, large-cell human lung carcinoma cells. We also show that the matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) gene is a downstream target upregulated by HMGA1 in large-cell carcinoma cells. In chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments, HMGA1 binds directly to the MMP-2 promoter in vivo in large-cell lung cancer cells, but not in squamous cell carcinoma cells. In large-cell carcinoma cell lines, there is a significant, positive correlation between HMGA1 and MMP-2 mRNA. Moreover, interfering with MMP-2 expression blocks anchorage-independent cell growth in H1299 large-cell carcinoma cells, indicating that the HMGA1-MMP-2 pathway is required for this transformation phenotype in these cells. Blocking MMP-2 expression also inhibits migration and invasion in the H1299 large-cell carcinoma cells. Our findings suggest an important role for MMP-2 in transformation mediated by HMGA1 in large-cell, undifferentiated lung carcinoma and support the development of strategies to target this pathway in selected tumors.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hillion
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Mita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Raka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: Francescopaolo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Cello
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.forename: Ossama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Elbahloul
authors.forename: Jodi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Poirier
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rudin
authors.forename: Surajit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhara
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belton
authors.forename: Biju
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zucker
authors.forename: Linda M S
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Resar
mesh_terms: D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D025741:HMGA1a Protein / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025741:HMGA1a Protein; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2