title: Metastasis-associated protein 1 drives tumor cell migration and invasion through transcriptional repression of RING finger protein 144A.
abstract: Metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1), a component of the nucleosome-remodeling and histone deacetylase complex, is widely up-regulated in human cancers and significantly correlated with tumor invasion and metastasis, but the mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Here, we report that MTA1 transcriptionally represses the expression of RING finger protein 144A (RNF144A), an uncharacterized gene whose protein product possesses potential E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, by recruiting the histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (c/EBPα) co-repressor complex onto human RNF144A promoter. Furthermore, an inverse correlation between the expression levels of MTA1 and RNF144A was demonstrated in publicly available breast cancer microarray datasets and the MCF10 breast cancer progression model system. To address functional aspects of MTA1 regulation of RNF144A, we demonstrate that RNF144A is a novel suppressor of cancer migration and invasion, two requisite steps of metastasis in vivo, and knockdown of endogenous RNF144A by small interfering RNAs accelerates the migration and invasion of MTA1-overexpressing cells. These results suggest that RNF144A is partially responsible for MTA1-mediated migration and invasion and that MTA1 overexpression in highly metastatic cancer cells drives cell migration and invasion by, at least in part, interfering with the suppressive function of RNF144A through transcriptional repression of RNF144A expression. Together, these findings provide novel mechanistic insights into regulation of tumor progression and metastasis by MTA1 and highlight a previously unrecognized role of RNF144A in MTA1-driven cancer cell migration and invasion.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India.
authors.forename: Hezlin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marzook
authors.forename: Da-Qiang
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Vasudha S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Prakriti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mudvari
authors.forename: Sirigiri Divijendra Natha
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Suresh B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pakala
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Santhoshkumar
authors.forename: M Radhakrishna
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics*; D019295:Computational Biology; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006367:HeLa Cells; D056464:Histone Deacetylase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C089320:MTA1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C571196:RNF144A protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D056464:Histone Deacetylase 2; D006655:Histone Deacetylases