Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a transmembrane MMP that plays important roles in migratory processes underlying tumor invasion and angiogenesis. In addition to its matrix degrading activity, MT1-MMP also contains a short cytoplasmic domain whose involvement in cell locomotion seems important but remains poorly understood. In this study, we show that MT1-MMP is phosphorylated on the unique tyrosine residue located within this cytoplasmic sequence (Tyr The degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM)3 proteins by members of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) plays a crucial role in several biological processes, including cell attachment, cell migration, invasiveness, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis (1-4). Among the various MMPs described to date, there is now considerable evidence that MMPs that are intrinsically associated with the plasma membrane because of the presence of a transmembrane domain within their sequence, the so-called membrane type MMPs, represent key components involved in pericellular proteolysis and subsequent cell locomotion and invasion (5, 6). The prototypical member of this family, MT1-MMP, actively participates in the remodeling of the pericellular ECM by acting as a cellular receptor and activator of proMMP-2 (7) and as a potent matrixdegrading protease that proteolyses a broad spectrum of ECM proteins (8 -10) as well as a number of cell surface-associated adhesion receptors (11,12). These events are likely to be important in vivo because MT1-MMP null mice fail to thrive and have a markedly reduced lifespan (13,14).In addition to its role in normal physiology, MT1-MMP is also overexpressed in many types of tumors (15, 16), and this overexpression appears crucial for tumor cell migration and invasion. For example, MT1-MMP-mediated degradation of some ECM proteins, such as the laminin-5␥2 chain (17), stimulates migration, whereas proteolysis of the dense, cross-linked meshwork of type I collagen fibrils by the enzyme confers neoplastic cells with tissueinvasive activity (18) and sustains tumor cell growth in otherwise growth-restrictive three-dimensional matrices (19).Despite its importance to normal physiology and in the development of malignancy, the mechanisms underlying MT1-MMP-mediated cell invasion remain incompletely understood. During cell migration, MT1-MMP localizes predominantly to the cell adherent edge at the migration front, an appropriate location for the degradation of the ECM barrier (20). In addition, we and others have shown that MT1-MMP is preferentially localized into caveolae, specialized domains of the plasma membrane (21,22), and this localization may contribute to the spatiotemporal regulation of its proteolytic activity by controlling adequate endocytosis and recycling of the enzyme (23,24).In addition to the importance of MT1-MMP-mediated proteolytic breakdown of ECM proteins for the induction of cell migration, recent studies suggested that the cytoplasmic domain of the enzyme may also play a role in this process. For example...

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Neuroblastoma (NB) is a typical childhood and heterogeneous neoplasm for which efficient targeted therapies for high-risk tumors are not yet identified. The chemokine CXCL12, and its receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 have been involved in tumor progression and dissemination. While CXCR4 expression is associated to undifferentiated tumors and poor prognosis, the role of CXCR7, the recently identified second CXCL12 receptor, has not yet been elucidated in NB. In this report, CXCR7 and CXCL12 expressions were evaluated using a tissue micro-array including 156 primary and 56 metastatic NB tissues. CXCL12 was found to be highly associated to NB vascular and stromal structures. In contrast to CXCR4, CXCR7 expression was low in undifferentiated tumors, while its expression was stronger in matured tissues and specifically associated to differentiated neural tumor cells. As determined by RT-PCR, CXCR7 expression was mainly detected in N-and S-type NB cell lines, and was slightly induced upon NB cell differentiation in vitro. The relative roles of the two CXCL12 receptors were further assessed by overexpressing CXCR7 or CXCR4 receptor alone, or in combination, in the IGR-NB8 and the SH-SY5Y NB cell lines. In vitro functional analyses indicated that, in response to their common ligand, both receptors induced activation of ERK1/2 cascade, but not Akt pathway. CXCR7 strongly reduced in vitro growth, in contrast to CXCR4, and impaired CXCR4/CXCL12-mediated chemotaxis. Subcutaneous implantation of CXCR7-expressing NB cells showed that CXCR7 also significantly reduced in vivo growth. Moreover, CXCR7 affected CXCR4-mediated orthotopic growth in a CXCL12-producing environment. In such model, CXCR7, in association with CXCR4, did not induce NB cell metastatic dissemination. In conclusion, the CXCR7 and CXCR4 receptors revealed specific expression patterns and distinct functional roles in NB. Our data suggest that CXCR7 elicits anti-tumorigenic functions, and may act as a regulator of CXCR4/CXCL12-mediated signaling in NB.

BackgroundNeuroblastoma (NB) is a frequent pediatric tumor characterized by a poor prognosis where a majority of tumors progress despite intensive multimodality treatments. Autophagy, a self-degradative process in cells, could be induced by chemotherapy and be associated with chemoresistance. The aim of this study was to determine whether: 1) autophagy is present in NB, 2) chemotherapy modified its levels, and 3) its inhibition decreased chemoresistance.MethodsImmunohistochemical stainings were performed on samples from 184 NB patients in order to verify the expression of LC3B, a specific marker for autophagy, and Beclin 1, a positive regulator of autophagy. In addition, we performed an in vitro study with six NB cell lines and six drugs (vincristine, doxorubicin, cisplatin temozolomide, LY294002 and syrolimus). Inhibition of autophagy was performed using ATG5 knockdown cells or hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Cell survival was measured using the MTT cell proliferation assay. Autophagy was detected by monodansylcadaverine, confocal microscopy and Western blot. In vivo study with tumor xenografts in NSG mice was performed.ResultsOur results have indicated that autophagy was present at low levels in NB and was not a prognostic factor, while Beclin 1 was highly expressed in children with poor NB prognosis. However, autophagy levels increased after chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. Tumor progression was significantly decreased in mice treated with a combination of HCQ and vincristine.ConclusionsTaken together, autophagy is present in NB, induced by chemotherapy and associated with chemoresistance, which is significantly reduced by its inhibition. Therefore, targeting autophagy represents a very attractive approach to develop new therapeutic strategies in NB.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2906-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

CD133 is associated with in-vitro resistance to chemotherapy involving activation of the AKT pathway.

Pericellular proteolysis of the extracellular matrix by membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) confers tumor cells with the ability to proliferate within three-dimensional (3D) matrices and sustains tumor growth in mice. In this study, we show that in addition to its matrix-degrading activity, phosphorylation of MT1-MMP on its unique tyrosine residue located within its cytoplasmic sequence (Tyr573) may also participate to these processes. Fibrosarcoma cells expressing a proteolytically active but non-phosphorylable mutant of MT1-MMP showed a markedly reduced proliferation rate when embedded within 3D type I collagen matrices, this antiproliferative effect being correlated with arrest in the G(0)/G(1) phase of the cell cycle. Impaired tyrosine phosphorylation of MT1-MMP also inhibits anchorage-independent growth of HT-1080 cells in soft agar as well as their invasion of collagen barriers, two prominent attributes of tumor cells, suggesting a broad inhibitory effect of the MT1-MMP mutant on tumorigenesis. Accordingly, whereas HT-1080 cells formed well-vascularized tumors containing tyrosine-phosphorylated MT1-MMP, tumor growth was completely abolished by expression of the non-phosphorylable MT1-MMP mutant. These findings thus indicate a close co-operation between the matrix-degrading activity of MT1-MMP and tyrosine phosphorylation of its intracellular domain for tumor cell invasion and proliferation and suggest that the targeting of the intracellular signaling pathways leading to tyrosine phosphorylation of MT1-MMP may represent an unexpected alternative strategy for the inhibition of this enzyme.

Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) plays an important role in sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P)-dependent migration of endothelial cells but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Herein, we show that S1P promotes the relocalization of MT1-MMP to peripheral actin-rich membrane ruffles that is coincident with its association with the adaptor protein p130Cas at the leading edge of migrating cells. Immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy analyses suggest that this interaction required the tyrosine phosphorylation of p130Cas and also involves S1P-dependent phosphorylation of MT1-MMP within its cytoplasmic sequence. The interaction of MT1-MMP with p130Cas at the cell periphery suggests the existence of a close interplay between pericellular proteolysis and signaling pathways involved in EC migration.

Proteolysis of extracellular matrix proteins by membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) plays a pivotal role in tumor and endothelial cell migration. In addition to its proteolytic activity, several studies indicate that the proinvasive properties of MT1-MMP also involve its short cytoplasmic domain, but the specific mechanisms mediating this function have yet to be fully elucidated. Having previously shown that the serum factor sphingosine 1-phosphate stimulates MT1-MMP promigratory function through a process that involves its cytoplasmic domain, we now extend these findings to show that this cooperative interaction is permissive to cellular migration through MT1-MMP -dependent transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In the presence of sphingosine 1-phosphate, MT1-MMP stimulates EGFR transactivation through a process that is dependent upon the cytoplasmic domain of the enzyme but not its catalytic activity. The MT1-MMP -induced EGFR transactivation also involves G i protein signaling and Src activities and leads to enhanced cellular migration through downstream extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. The present study, thus, elucidates a novel role of MT1-MMP in signaling events mediating EGFR transactivation and provides the first evidence of a crucial role of this receptor activity in MT1-MMP promigratory function. Taken together, our results suggest that the inhibition of EGFR may represent a novel target to inhibit MT1-MMP -dependent processes associated with tumor cell invasion and angiogenesis. (Mol Cancer Res 2007;5(6):569 -83)