Correlation of the invasive potential of glioblastoma and expression of caveola-forming proteins caveolin-1 and CAVIN1

J Neurooncol. 2019 Jun;143(2):207-220. doi: 10.1007/s11060-019-03161-8. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Abstract

Introduction: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain cancer. The average survival time for the majority of patients is approximately 15 months after diagnosis. A major feature of GBM that contributes to its poor prognosis is its high invasiveness. Caveolae are plasma membrane subdomains that participate in numerous biological functions. Caveolin-1 and Caveolae Associated Protein 1 (CAVIN1), formerly termed Polymerase I and Transcript Release Factor, are both necessary for caveola formation. We hypothesized that high expression of caveola-forming proteins in GBM promotes invasiveness via modulation of the production of matrix-degrading enzymes.

Methods: The mRNA expression of caveola-forming proteins and matrix proteases in GBM samples, and survival after stratifying patients according to caveolin-1 or CAVIN1 expression, were analyzed from TCGA and REMBRANDT databases. The proteolytic profile of cell lines expressing or devoid of caveola-forming proteins was investigated using zymography and real-time qPCR. Invasion through basement membrane-like protein was investigated in vitro.

Results: Expression of both caveolin-1 and CAVIN1 was increased in GBM compared to normal samples and correlated with expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and gelatinases. High expression of caveola-forming proteins was associated with shorter survival time. GBM cell lines capable of forming caveolae expressed more uPA and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and/or -9 (MMP-9) and were more invasive than GBM cells devoid of caveola-forming proteins. Experimental manipulation of caveolin-1 or CAVIN1 expression in GBM cells recapitulated some, but not all of these features. Caveolae modulate GBM cell invasion in part via matrix protease expression.

Keywords: Caveolae; Invasion; MMP2; MMP9; uPA.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Caveolin 1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Caveolin 1 / genetics
  • Caveolin 1 / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Embryo, Mammalian / metabolism
  • Embryo, Mammalian / pathology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Glioblastoma / genetics
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism
  • Glioblastoma / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Prognosis
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • CAV1 protein, human
  • CAVIN1 protein, human
  • Caveolin 1
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • RNA-Binding Proteins