scholarly journals Lysophosphatidic Acid Signaling in Cancer Cells: What Makes LPA So Special?

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2059
Author(s):  
Pravita Balijepalli ◽  
Ciera C. Sitton ◽  
Kathryn E. Meier

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) refers to a family of simple phospholipids that act as ligands for G protein-coupled receptors. While LPA exerts effects throughout the body in normal physiological circumstances, its pathological role in cancer is of great interest from a therapeutic viewpoint. The numerous LPA receptors (LPARs) are coupled to a variety of G proteins, and more than one LPAR is typically expressed on any given cell. While the individual receptors signal through conventional GPCR pathways, LPA is particularly efficacious in stimulating cancer cell proliferation and migration. This review addresses the mechanistic aspects underlying these pro-tumorigenic effects. We provide examples of LPA signaling responses in various types of cancers, with an emphasis on those where roles have been identified for specific LPARs. While providing an overview of LPAR signaling, these examples also reveal gaps in our knowledge regarding the mechanisms of LPA action at the receptor level. The current understanding of the LPAR structure and the roles of LPAR interactions with other receptors are discussed. Overall, LPARs provide insight into the potential molecular mechanisms that underlie the ability of individual GPCRs (or combinations of GPCRs) to elicit a unique spectrum of responses from their agonist ligands. Further knowledge of these mechanisms will inform drug discovery, since GPCRs are promising therapeutic targets for cancer.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si Liu ◽  
Haiyan Jiang ◽  
Li Min ◽  
Tingting Ning ◽  
Junxuan Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and its G-protein-coupled receptors (Lpar1~Lpar6) mediate a plethora of activities associated with cancer growth and progression. However, there is no systematic study about whether and how LPA promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Here we show that autotaxin (ATX), a primary LPA-producing enzyme, is highly expressed in ESCC, and overexpressed ATX is associated with the poor outcome of ESCC patients. Meanwhile, the expression of Lpar1 was much higher in ESCC cells compared with Het-1A (human esophagus normal epithelial cells). Functional experiments showed that LPA remarkably increased the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells. Furthermore, Lpar1 knockdown abolished the effect of LPA on ESCC cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistic studies revealed that LPA promoted ESCC cell lines proliferation and migration through PI3K/AKT pathway. Treatment of KYSE30 cell xenografts with Lpar1 inhibitor BMS-986020 significantly repressed tumor growth. Our results shed light on the important role of LPA in ESCC, and Lpar1 might be a potential treatment target for ESCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungwani Muungo

ADP ribosylation factor GTPase-activating protein 3 (ARFGAP3) is a GTPase-activating protein that associates with the Golgiapparatus and regulates the vesicular trafficking pathway. In the present study, we examined the contribution of ARFGAP3 toprostate cancer cell biology. We showed that ARFGAP3 expression was induced by 100 nM of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) atboth the mRNA and protein levels in androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells. We generated stable transfectants of LNCaP cells withFLAG-tagged ARFGAP3 or a control empty vector and showed that ARFGAP3 overexpression promoted cell proliferation andmigration compared with control cells. We found that ARFGAP3 interacted with paxillin, a focal adhesion adaptor protein thatis important for cell mobility and migration. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of ARFGAP3 showed thatARFGAP3 siRNA markedly reduced LNCaP cell growth. Androgen receptor (AR)-dependent transactivation activity on prostatespecificantigen (PSA) enhancer was synergistically promoted by exogenous ARFGAP3 and paxillin expression, as shown byluciferase assay in LNCaP cells. Thus, our results suggest that ARFGAP3 is a novel androgen-regulated gene that can promoteprostate cancer cell proliferation and migration in collaboration with paxillin.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenghui Cheng ◽  
Yawen Zhang ◽  
Yinchao Tian ◽  
Yuhan Chen ◽  
Fei Ding ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Schwann cells (SCs) play a crucial role in the repair of peripheral nerves. This is due to their ability to proliferate, migrate, and provide trophic support to axon regrowth. During peripheral nerve injury, SCs de-differentiate and reprogram to gain the ability to repair nerves. Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61/CCN1) is a member of the CCN family of matrix cell proteins and have been reported to be abundant in the secretome of repair mediating SCs. In this study we investigate the function of Cyr61 in SCs. Results We observed Cyr61 was expressed both in vivo and in vitro. The promoting effect of Cyr61 on SC proliferation and migration was through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. SCs expressed αvβ3 integrin and the effect of Cyr61 on SC proliferation and migration could be blocked via αvβ3 integrin. Cyr61 could influence c-Jun protein expression in cultured SCs. Conclusions In this study, we found that Cyr61 promotes SC proliferation and migration via αvβ3 integrin and regulates c-Jun expression. Our study contributes to the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying SC’s function during nerve injury, and thus, may facilitate the regeneration of peripheral nerves after injury.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Qian ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Haoming Ji ◽  
Yucheng Shen ◽  
Liangfeng Zheng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most common cancers with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve as tumor promoters or suppressors in the development of various human malignancies, including LUAD. Although long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1089 (LINC01089) suppresses the progression of breast cancer, its mechanism in LUAD requires further exploration. Thus, we aimed to investigate the underlying function and mechanism of LINC01089 in LUAD. Methods The expression of LINC01089 in LUAD and normal cell lines was detected. Functional assays were applied to measure cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration. Besides, mechanism experiments were employed for assessing the interplay among LINC01089, miR-301b-3p and StAR related lipid transfer domain containing 13 (STARD13). Data achieved in this study was statistically analyzed with Student’s t test or one-way analysis of variance. Results LINC01089 expression was significantly down-regulated in LUAD tissues and cells and its overexpression could reduce cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, LINC01089 could regulate STARD13 expression through competitively binding to miR-301b-3p in LUAD. Additionally, rescue assays uncovered that STARD13 depletion or miR-301b-3p overexpression could countervail the restraining effect of LINC01089 knockdown on the phenotypes of LUAD cells. Conclusion LINC01089 served as a tumor-inhibitor in LUAD by targeting miR-301b-3p/STARD13 axis, providing an innovative insight into LUAD therapies. Trial registration Not applicable.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document