Metastasis-associated PRL-3 induces EGFR activation and addiction in cancer cells

J Clin Invest. 2013 Aug;123(8):3459-71. doi: 10.1172/JCI66824. Epub 2013 Jul 8.

Abstract

Metastasis-associated phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) has pleiotropic effects in driving cancer progression, yet the signaling mechanisms of PRL-3 are still not fully understood. Here, we provide evidence for PRL-3-induced hyperactivation of EGFR and its downstream signaling cascades in multiple human cancer cell lines. Mechanistically, PRL-3-induced activation of EGFR was attributed primarily to transcriptional downregulation of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), an inhibitory phosphatase for EGFR. Functionally, PRL-3-induced hyperactivation of EGFR correlated with increased cell growth, promigratory characteristics, and tumorigenicity. Moreover, PRL-3 induced cellular addiction to EGFR signaling, as evidenced by the pronounced reversion of these oncogenic attributes upon EGFR-specific inhibition. Of clinical significance, we verified elevated PRL-3 expression as a predictive marker for favorable therapeutic response in a heterogeneous colorectal cancer (CRC) patient cohort treated with the clinically approved anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab. The identification of PRL-3-driven EGFR hyperactivation and consequential addiction to EGFR signaling opens new avenues for inhibiting PRL-3-driven cancer progression. We propose that elevated PRL-3 expression is an important clinical predictive biomarker for favorable anti-EGFR cancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cetuximab
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Enzyme Repression
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasm Proteins / physiology*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 1 / genetics
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 1 / metabolism
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Treatment Outcome
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • ErbB Receptors
  • src-Family Kinases
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • PTP4A3 protein, human
  • PTPN1 protein, human
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 1
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases
  • Cetuximab