Discriminatory Role of Detergent-Resistant Membranes in the Dimerization and Endocytosis of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen

PLoS One. 2013 Jun 19;8(6):e66193. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066193. Print 2013.

Abstract

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a type-II membrane glycoprotein that was initially identified in LNCaP cells. It is expressed at elevated levels in prostate cancer. In view of the correlation between the expression levels of PSMA and disease grade and stage, PSMA is considered to be one of the most promising biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. In LNCaP cells PSMA undergoes internalization via clathrin-coated pits followed by accumulation in the endosomes. PSMA associates with different types of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) along the secretory pathway. Its mature form is mainly insoluble in Lubrol WX, but does not associate with Triton X-100-DRMs. To understand the mechanism of PSMA internalization we investigated its association during internalization with DRMs. For this purpose, internalization was induced by antibody cross-linking. We demonstrate at the biochemical and cell biological levels that: [i] exclusively homodimers of PSMA are associated with Lubrol WX-DRMs, [ii] antibody-induced cross-linking of PSMA molecules results in a time-dependent partitioning into another DRMs type, namely Triton X-100-DRMs, and [iii] concomitant with its association with Triton-X-100-DRMs internalization of PSMA occurs along tubulin filaments. In a previous work (Colombatti et al. (2009) PLoS One 4: e4608) we demonstrated that the small GTPases RAS and RAC1 and the MAPKs p38 and ERK1/2 are activated during antibody cross-linking. As downstream effects of this activation we observed a strong induction of NF-kB associated with an increased expression of IL-6 and CCL5 genes and that IL-6 and CCL5 enhanced the proliferative potential of LNCaP cells synergistically. These observations together with findings reported here hypothesize a fundamental role of DRMs during activation of PSMA as platforms for trafficking, endocytosis and signalling. Understanding these mechanisms constitutes an essential prerequisite for utilization of PSMA as a therapeutically suitable target in prostate cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Membrane / chemistry*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Detergents / pharmacology*
  • Endocytosis
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / drug effects
  • Male
  • Octoxynol / pharmacology
  • Polyethylene Glycols / pharmacology
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / chemistry*
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Protein Multimerization

Substances

  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Detergents
  • Lubrol WX
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Octoxynol
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen

Grants and funding

This work was partially supported by institutional funds provided by the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (to HYN), AIRC 5x1000 project Application of Advanced Nanotechnology in the Development of Innovative Cancer Diagnostic Tools (funding attributed to MC), by the University of Verona, by Fondazione Cariverona project Verona Nanomedicine Initiative (to MC) and by Fondazione Cariverona/AIRC Progetto Regionale (to MC). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.