FRA1 promotes squamous cell carcinoma growth and metastasis through distinct AKT and c-Jun dependent mechanisms.

Zhang, Xiaoling

Wu, Joseph

Luo, Suju

Lechler, Terry

Zhang, Jennifer Y

United States

2017-08-02T13:54:57Z

2017-08-02T13:54:57Z

2016-06-07

FRA1 (Fos-like antigen 1) is highly expressed in many epithelial cancers including squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (cSCC) and head and neck (HNSCC). However, the functional importance and the mechanisms mediating FRA1 function in these cancers are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that FRA1 gene silencing in HNSCC and cSCC cells resulted in two consequences - impaired cell proliferation and migration. FRA1 regulation of cell growth was distinct from that of c-Jun, a prominent Jun group AP-1 factor. While c-Jun was required for the expression of the G1/S phase cell cycle promoter CDK4, FRA1 was essential for AKT activation and AKT-dependent expression of CyclinB1, a molecule required for G2-M progression. Exogenous expression of a constitutively active form of AKT rescued cancer cell growth defect caused by FRA1-loss. Additionally, FRA1 knockdown markedly slowed cell adhesion and migration, and conversely expression of an active FRA1 mutant (FRA1DD) expedited these processes in a JNK/c-Jun-dependent manner. Through protein and ChIP-PCR analyses, we identified KIND1, a cytoskeletal regulator of the cell adhesion molecule β1-integrin, as a novel FRA1 transcriptional target. Restoring KIND1 expression rescued migratory defects induced by FRA1 loss. In agreement with these in vitro data, HNSCC cells with FRA1 loss displayed markedly reduced rates of subcutaneous tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. Together, these results indicate that FRA1 promotes cancer growth through AKT, and enhances cancer cell migration through JNK/c-Jun, pinpointing FRA1 as a key integrator of JNK and AKT signaling pathways and a potential therapeutic target for cSCC and HNSCC.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27144339

9110

1949-2553

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15165

eng

Impact Journals, LLC

Oncotarget

10.18632/oncotarget.9110

AKT

FRA1

SCC

c-Jun

cyclinB1

FRA1 promotes squamous cell carcinoma growth and metastasis through distinct AKT and c-Jun dependent mechanisms.

Journal article

Zhang, Jennifer Y|0000-0002-4485-1750

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27144339

34371

34383

23

Basic Science Departments

Cell Biology

Clinical Science Departments

Dermatology

Duke

Duke Cancer Institute

Institutes and Centers

Pathology

School of Medicine

Published

7