Proteinase-activated receptors differentially modulate in vitro invasion of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma PANC-1 cells in correlation with changes in the expression of CDC42 protein.
OBJECTIVE
Proteinase-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) and PAR-2 have been associated with increased invasiveness and metastasis in human malignancies. The role of PAR-3 has been less investigated. We examined the role of PARs in a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma PANC-1 cell line phenotype in vitro.


METHODS
We knocked down PAR-1, PAR-2, or PAR-3, whereas empty vector-infected cells served as controls. Specific peptide agonists of PARs were used to stimulate the receptors. In vitro assays of colony formation, migration, and invasion were used to characterize the phenotypes, and Western analysis was used to follow cell division control protein 42 homolog (CDC42) expression.


RESULTS
PAR-1 and PAR-2 knockdowns (KDs) were markedly less, whereas PAR-3 KDs were robustly more migratory and invasive than the controls. Stimulation of PAR-1 or PAR-2 by their peptide agonists increased, whereas PAR-3 agonist reduced the invasion of the control cells. Knockdowns of all three PARs exhibited changes in the expression of CDC42, which correlated with the changes in their invasion. Conversely, stimulation of vector-control cells with PAR-1 or PAR-2 agonists enhanced, whereas PAR-3 agonist reduced the expression of CDC42. In the respective KD cells, the effects of the agonists were abrogated.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression and/or activation of PARs is linked to the invasiveness of PANC-1 cells in vitro, probably via modulation of the expression of CDC42.
From the *Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel; †Laboratory of Endocrinology and Receptor Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; ‡Institute of Pathology, Central Lab, Maccabi, Rehovot, Israel; and §Assaf Harofe Hospital Institute of Pathology and the Department of Pathology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
Liora
L
Segal
Liora S
LS
Katz
Monica
M
Lupu-Meiri
Hagit
H
Shapira
Judith
J
Sandbank
Marvin C
MC
Gershengorn
Yoram
Y
Oron
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D034622:RNA Interference; D044463:Receptor, PAR-1 / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044464:Receptor, PAR-2 / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
D010455:Peptides; D044463:Receptor, PAR-1; D044464:Receptor, PAR-2; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; C105295:protease-activated receptor 3; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein