title: Galectin-3 induces cell migration via a calcium-sensitive MAPK/ERK1/2 pathway.
abstract: The presence and level of circulating galectin-3 (Gal-3), a member of the galectin family, is associated with diverse diseases ranging from heart failure, immune disorders to cancer metastasis and serves as a biomarker of diagnosis and treatment response. However, the mechanisms by which exogenous Gal-3 affects pathobiology events remain elusive. In the current study, we found that exogenous Gal-3 slightly delays, while prolonging tyrosine phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in HeLa cells through a calcium-sensitive and PKC-dependent signaling pathway. The activation was dependent on the sugar-binding properties of Gal-3, since the antagonist lactose could inhibit it. The sugar-binding motif of Gal-3 was required for the activation of ERK1/2. The activation of ERK1/2 was necessary for the initiation and induction of cell migration associated with the phosphorylation of paxillin. All the results presented in this study suggest a novel calcium-sensitive and PKC-dependent pathway through which circulating Gal-3 promotes cell migration and activating the ERK1/2. Taken together, the data depicted here propose a biological function and a target for the diseases' associated circulating Gal-3.
authors.affiliation: ¹Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. ²School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoge
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Vitaly
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Balan
authors.forename: Guihua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raz
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D037502:Galectin 3; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering