Phosphatidic acid generation by DGK-α is essential for the localization of Rab11-coupling protein to invasive pseudopods and subsequent invasive migration by tumor cells.

Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) is a coreceptor for multiple extracellular ligands. NRP1 is widely expressed in cancer cells and in advanced human tumors; however, its functional relevance and signaling mechanisms are unclear. Here, we show that NRP1 expression controls viability and proliferation of different cancer cells, independent of its short intracellular tail. We found that the extracellular domain of NRP1 interacts with the EGF receptor (EGFR) and promotes its signaling cascade elicited upon EGF or TGF-a stimulation. Upon NRP1 silencing, the ability of ligand-bound EGFR to cluster on the cell surface, internalize, and activate the downstream AKT pathway is severely impaired. EGFR is frequently activated in human tumors due to overexpression, mutation, or sustained autocrine/paracrine stimulation. Here we show that NRP1-blocking antibodies and NRP1 silencing can counteract ligand-induced EGFR activation in cancer cells. Thus our findings unveil a novel molecular mechanism by which NRP1 can control EGFR signaling and tumor growth. Cancer Res; 72(22); 5801-11. Ó2012 AACR.

Integrin trafficking is key to cell migration, but little is known about the spatiotemporal organization of integrin endocytosis. Here, we show that α5β1 integrin undergoes tensin-dependent centripetal movement from the cell periphery to populate adhesions located under the nucleus. From here, ligand-engaged α5β1 integrins are internalized under control of the Arf subfamily GTPase, Arf4, and are trafficked to nearby late endosomes/lysosomes. Suppression of centripetal movement or Arf4-dependent endocytosis disrupts flow of ligand-bound integrins to late endosomes/lysosomes and their degradation within this compartment. Arf4-dependent integrin internalization is required for proper lysosome positioning and for recruitment and activation of mTOR at this cellular subcompartment. Furthermore, nutrient depletion promotes subnuclear accumulation and endocytosis of ligand-engaged α5β1 integrins via inhibition of mTORC1. This two-way regulatory interaction between mTORC1 and integrin trafficking in combination with data describing a role for tensin in invasive cell migration indicate interesting links between nutrient signaling and metastasis.

Chloride intracellular channel 3 (CLIC3) drives invasiveness of pancreatic and ovarian cancer by acting in concert with Rab25 to regulate the recycling of a5b1 integrin from late endosomes to the plasma membrane. Here, we show that in two estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer cell lines, CLIC3 has little influence on integrin recycling, but controls trafficking of the pro-invasive matrix metalloproteinase MT1-MMP (also known as MMP14). In MDA-MB-231 cells, MT1-MMP and CLIC3 are localized primarily to late endosomal/lysosomal compartments located above the plane of adhesion and near the nucleus. MT1-MMP is transferred from these late endosomes to sites of cell-matrix adhesion in a CLIC3-dependent fashion. Correspondingly, CLIC3-knockdown opposes MT1-MMP-dependent invasive processes. These include the disruption of the basement membrane as acini formed from MCF10DCIS.com cells acquire invasive characteristics in 3D culture, and the invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells into Matrigel or organotypic plugs of type I collagen. Consistent with this, expression of CLIC3 predicts poor prognosis in ER-negative breast cancer. The identification of MT1-MMP as a cargo of a CLIC3-regulated pathway that drives invasion highlights the importance of late endosomal sorting and trafficking in breast cancer.

Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) convert diacylglycerol (DAG) into phosphatidic acid (PA), acting as molecular switches between DAG-and PA-mediated signaling. We previously showed that Srcdependent activation and plasma membrane recruitment of DGKα are required for growth-factor-induced cell migration and ruffling, through the control of Rac small-GTPase activation and plasma membrane localization. Herein we unveil a signaling pathway through which DGKα coordinates the localization of Rac. We show that upon hepatocyte growth-factor stimulation, DGKα, by producing PA, provides a key signal to recruit atypical PKCζ/ι (aPKCζ/ι) in complex with RhoGDI and Rac at ruffling sites of colony-growing epithelial cells. Then, DGKα-dependent activation of aPKCζ/ι mediates the release of Rac from the inhibitory complex with RhoGDI, allowing its activation and leading to formation of membrane ruffles, which constitute essential requirements for cell migration. These findings highlight DGKα as the central element of a lipid signaling pathway linking tyrosine kinase growth-factor receptors to regulation of aPKCs and RhoGDI, and providing a positional signal regulating Rac association to the plasma membrane.cell migration | growth factors | phosphatidic acid C ell migration, central to many biological and pathological processes such as cancer metastatic progression, is a multistep cycle involving extension of protrusions and formation of stable attachments near the leading edge, followed by translocation of the cell body forward (1). The protrusive activity occurring at the leading edge depends on the spatial and temporal coordination between cell substrate adhesion and actin reorganization. Rhofamily small GTPases coordinate the recruitment at the leading edge of downstream effectors, thereby mediating the formation of ruffles and lamellipodia. Their GTP-bound state is tightly regulated by both guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which stimulate GTP loading, and GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), which catalyze GTP hydrolysis. Moreover, Rho-family GTPases are regulated by guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs), which antagonize both GEFs and GAPs and mediate the cycling of Rho proteins between the cytosol and the membrane (2, 3).Atypical protein kinase C ζ and ι (aPKCζ/ι), unlike classical and novel PKCs, feature a C1-like domain which does not bind to either diacylglycerol or phorbol esters, and have recently been proposed as key transducers for establishment of cell polarity and migration (4).Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs), which convert diacylglycerol (DAG) to phosphatidic acid (PA), comprise a family of 10 distinct enzymes grouped into five classes, each featuring distinct regulatory domains and a highly conserved catalytic domain preceded by two cysteine-rich C1-like domains. An increasing body of evidence indicates that DGKs, by acting as terminators of diacylglyceroltriggered signaling, contribute to regulating C1 domain-containing proteins, such as classical and novel PKCs and the Rac-GAP β-chimaerin (5). ...

Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) metabolize diacylglycerol (DAG) to phosphatidic acid (PA). In T lymphocytes, DGKα acts as a negative regulator of TCR signaling by decreasing diacylglycerol levels and inducing anergy. Here, we show that upon co-stimulation of the TCR with CD28 or SLAM, DGKα, but not DGKζ, exit from the nucleus and undergoes rapid negative regulation of its enzymatic activity. Inhibition of DGKα is dependent on the expression of SAP, an adaptor protein mutated in X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP), which is essential for SLAM-mediated signaling and contributes to TCR/CD28-induced signaling and T cell activation. Accordingly, over-expression of SAP is sufficient to inhibit DGKα, while SAP mutants unable to bind either phospho-tyrosine residues or SH3 domain are ineffective. Moreover phospholipase C activity and calcium, but not Src-family tyrosine kinases, are also required for negative regulation of DGKα. Finally, inhibition of DGKα in SAP-deficient cells partially rescues defective TCR/CD28 signaling, including Ras and ERK-1/2 activation, PKCθ membrane recruitment, induction of NF-AT transcriptional activity and IL-2 production. Thus SAP-mediated inhibition of DGKα sustains diacylglycerol signaling, thereby regulating T cell activation and may represent a novel pharmacological strategy for XLP treatment.

Summary Integrin recycling is critical for cell migration. Protein Kinase D (PKD) mediates signals from the platelet-derived growth factor-receptor (PDGF-R) to control αvβ3 integrin recycling. We now show that Rabaptin-5, a Rab5 effector in endosomal membrane fusion, is a PKD substrate. PKD phosphorylates Rabaptin-5 at Ser407 and this is both necessary and sufficient for PDGF-dependent short-loop recycling of αvβ3, which in turn inhibits α5β1 integrin recycling. Rab4, but not Rab5, interacts with phosphorylated Rabaptin-5 toward the front of migrating cells to promote delivery of αvβ3 to the leading edge, thereby driving persistent cell motility and invasion that is dependent on this integrin. Consistently, disruption of Rabaptin-5 Ser407 phosphorylation reduces persistent cell migration in 2D and αvβ3-dependent invasion. Conversely, invasive migration that is dependent on α5β1 integrin is promoted by disrupting Rabaptin phosphorylation. These findings demonstrate that the PKD pathway couples receptor tyrosine kinase signaling to an integrin switch, via Rabaptin-5 phosphorylation.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex network of secreted proteins which provides support for tissues and organs. Additionally, the ECM controls a plethora of cell functions, including cell polarity, migration, proliferation, and oncogenic transformation. One of the hallmarks of cancer is altered cell metabolism, which is currently being exploited to develop anti-cancer therapies. Several pieces of evidence indicate that the tumor microenvironment and the ECM impinge on tumor cell metabolism. Therefore, it is essential to understand the contribution of the complex 3D microenvironment in controlling metabolic plasticity and responsiveness to therapies targeting cell metabolism. In this mini-review, we will describe how the tumor microenvironment and cancer-associated fibroblasts dictate cancer cell metabolism, resulting in increased tumor progression. Moreover, we will define the cross-talk between nutrient signaling and the trafficking of the ECM receptors of the integrin family. Finally, we will present recent data highlighting the contribution of nutrient scavenging from the microenvironment to support cancer cells growth under nutrient starvation conditions.