Increased expression of the TRPM4 channel has been reported to be associated with the progression of prostate cancer. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its effect remains unknown. This work found that decreasing TRPM4 levels leads to the reduced proliferation of PC3 cells. This effect was associated with a decrease in total β‐catenin protein levels and its nuclear localization, and a significant reduction in Tcf/Lef transcriptional activity. Moreover, TRPM4 silencing increases the Ser33/Ser37/Thr41 β‐catenin phosphorylated population and reduces the phosphorylation of GSK‐3β at Ser9, suggesting an increase in β‐catenin degradation as the underlying mechanism. Conversely, TRPM4 overexpression in LNCaP cells increases the Ser9 inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK‐3β and the total levels of β‐catenin and its nonphosphorylated form. Finally, PC3 cells with reduced levels of TRPM4 showed a decrease in basal and stimulated phosphoactivation of Akt1, which is likely responsible for the decrease in GSK‐3β activity in these cells. Our results also suggest that the effect of TRPM4 on Akt1 is probably mediated by an alteration in the calcium/calmodulin‐EGFR axis, linking TRPM4 activity with the observed effects in β‐catenin‐related signaling pathways. These results suggest a role for TRPM4 channels in β‐catenin oncogene signaling and underlying mechanisms, highlighting this ion channel as a new potential target for future therapies in prostate cancer.

Cell migration is a key process in cancer metastasis, allowing malignant cells to spread from the primary tumor to distant organs. At the molecular level, migration is the result of several coordinated events involving mechanical forces and cellular signaling, where the second messenger Ca 2+ plays a pivotal role. Therefore, elucidating the regulation of intracellular Ca 2+ levels is key for a complete understanding of the mechanisms controlling cellular migration. In this regard, understanding the function of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels, which are fundamental determinants of Ca 2+ signaling, is critical to uncovering mechanisms of mechanotransduction during cell migration and, consequently, in pathologies closely linked to it, such as cancer. Here, we review recent studies on the association between TRP channels and migration-related mechanotransduction events, as well as in the involvement of TRP channels in the migration-dependent pathophysiological process of metastasis.

Transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is a Ca2+‐activated nonselective cationic channel that regulates cell migration and contractility. Increased TRPM4 expression has been related to pathologies, in which cytoskeletal rearrangement and cell migration are altered, such as metastatic cancer. Here, we identify the K+ channel tetramerization domain 5 (KCTD5) protein, a putative adaptor of cullin3 E3 ubiquitin ligase, as a novel TRPM4‐interacting protein. We demonstrate that KCTD5 is a positive regulator of TRPM4 activity by enhancing its Ca2+ sensitivity. We show that through its effects on TRPM4 that KCTD5 promotes cell migration and contractility. Finally, we observed that both TRPM4 and KCTD5 expression are increased in distinct patterns in different classes of breast cancer tumor samples. Together, these data support that TRPM4 activity can be regulated through expression levels of either TRPM4 or KCTD5, not only contributing to increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved on the regulation of these important ion channels, but also providing information that could inform treatments based on targeting these distinct molecules that define TRPM4 activity.

Transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is a Ca2+‐activated nonselective cationic channel involved in a wide variety of physiologic and pathophysiological processes. Bioinformatics analyses of the primary sequence of TRPM4 allowed us to identify a putative motif for interaction with end‐binding (EB) proteins, which are microtubule plus‐end tracking proteins. Here, we provide novel data suggesting that TRPM4 interacts with EB proteins. We show that mutations of the putative EB binding motif abolish the TRPM4‐EB interaction, leading to a reduced expression of the mature population of the plasma membrane channel and instead display an endoplasmic reticulum‐associated distribution. Furthermore, we demonstrate that EB1 and EB2 proteins are required for TRPM4 trafficking and functional activity. Finally, we demonstrated that the expression of a soluble fragment containing the EB binding motif of TRPM4 reduces the plasma membrane expression of the channel and affects TRPM4‐dependent focal adhesion disassembly and cell invasion processes.—Blanco, C., Morales, D., Mogollones, I., Vergara‐Jaque, A., Vargas, C., Álvarez, A., Riquelme, D., Leiva‐Salcedo, E., González, W., Morales, D., Maureira, D., Aldunate, I., Cáceres, M., Varela, D., Cerda, O. EB1‐ and EB2‐dependent anterograde trafficking of TRPM4 regulates focal adhesion turnover and cell invasion. FASEB J. 33, 9434–9452 (2019). http://www.fasebj.org