Cross-talk between tumour and stromal cells can profoundly influence cancer cell invasion by increasing the availability of mitogenic peptides such as endothelin-1 (ET-1). Endothelin-1 is elevated in men with metastatic prostate cancer (PC), and can exert both an autocrine (epithelial) and a paracrine (stromal) influence on growth. Endothelin-1 is generated from its inactive precursor big-ET-1 by endothelin-converting enzyme 1 (ECE-1). We and others have demonstrated that ECE-1 expression is significantly elevated in tumours and surrounding stromal tissue. Our current data show siRNA-mediated knockdown of stromal ECE-1 reduces epithelial (PC-3) cell invasion in coculture. Interestingly, readdition of ET-1 only partially recovers this effect suggesting a novel role for ECE-1 independent of ET-1 activation. Parallel knockdown of ECE-1 in both stromal and epithelial compartments results in an additive decrease in cell invasion. We extrapolated this observation to the four recognised isoforms ECE-1a, ECE-1b, ECE-1c and ECE-1d. Only ECE-1a and ECE-1c were significant but with reciprocal effects on cell invasion. Transient ECE-1c overexpression increased PC-3 invasiveness through matrigel, whereas transient ECE-1a expression suppressed invasion. Furthermore, transient ECE-1a expression in stromal cells strongly counteracts the effect of transient ECE-1c expression in PC-3 cells. The ECE-1 isoforms may, therefore, be relevant targets for antiinvasive therapy in prostate and other cancers.

Neprilysin-2 (NEP2) is a novel metallopeptidase homologous to neprilysin (NEP), an enzyme involved in regulation of neuropeptide signalling. NEP2 exists as two alternatively spliced isoforms, NEP2 and NEP2 D . In this study, we cloned and expressed both human isoforms. Human NEP2 exists as a membrane-bound and soluble enzyme, whereas human NEP2 D exists as two membrane-bound glycoforms, localised to the ER and plasma membrane. Surprisingly, NEP2 substrate specificity and inhibitor binding was distinct from that of human NEP, suggesting that NEP and NEP2 play distinct physiological roles in humans, and human NEP2 differs markedly from its rodent homologues.

Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) is the enzyme predominantly responsible for producing active endothelin-1 (ET-1), a mitogenic peptide implicated in the aetiology of a number of diseases, including cancer. Elevated levels of ECE-1 have been observed in a range of malignancies, with high expression conferring poor prognosis and aiding the acquisition of androgen independence in prostate cancer. The mechanisms regulating the expression of ECE-1 in cancer cells are poorly understood, hampering the development of novel therapies targeting the endothelin axis. Here we provide evidence that the expression of ECE-1 is markedly inhibited by its 3′UTR, and that alternative polyadenylation (APA) results in the production of ECE-1 transcripts with truncated 3′UTRs which promote elevated protein expression. Abolition of the ECE-1 APA sites reduced protein expression from a reporter vector in prostate cancer cells, suggesting these sites are functional. This is the first study to identify ECE-1 as a target for APA, a regulatory mechanism aberrantly activated in cancer cells, and provides novel information about the mechanisms leading to ECE-1 overexpression in malignant cells.

Plasma concentrations of the mitogenic peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) are significantly elevated in men with metastatic prostate cancer (PC). ET-1 also contributes to the transition of hormonally regulated androgen-dependent PC to androgen-independent disease. ET-1 is generated from big-ET-1 by endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE-1). ECE-1 is present in PC cell lines and primary tissue and is elevated in primary malignant stromal cells compared with benign. siRNA or shRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous ECE-1 in either the epithelial or stromal compartment significantly reduced PC cell (PC-3) invasion and migration. The re-addition of ET-1 only partially recovered the effect, suggesting ET-1-dependent and -independent functions for ECE-1 in pPC. The ET-1-independent effect of ECE-1 on PC invasion may be due to modulation of downstream signalling events. Addition of an ECE-1 specific inhibitor to PC-3 cells reduced phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a signalling molecule known to play a role in PC. siRNA-mediated knockdown of ECE-1 resulted in a significant reduction in FAK phosphorylation. Accordingly, transient ECE-1 overexpression in PNT1-a cells increased FAK phosphorylation. In conclusion, ECE-1 influences PC cell invasion via both ET-1-mediated FAK phosphorylation and ET-1 independent mechanisms.

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