SummaryCell migration and invasion are largely dependent on the complex organization of the various cytoskeletal components. Whereas the role of actin filaments and microtubules in cell motility is well established, the role of intermediate filaments in this process is incompletely understood. Organization and structure of the keratin cytoskeleton, which consists of heteropolymers of at least one type 1 and one type 2 intermediate filament, are in part regulated by post-translational modifications. In particular, phosphorylation events influence the properties of the keratin network. Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is a bioactive lipid with the exceptional ability to change the organization of the keratin cytoskeleton, leading to reorganization of keratin filaments, increased elasticity, and subsequently increased migration of epithelial tumor cells. Here we investigate the signaling pathways that mediate SPC-induced keratin reorganization and the role of keratin phosphorylation in this process. We establish that the MEK-ERK signaling cascade regulates both SPC-induced keratin phosphorylation and reorganization in human pancreatic and gastric cancer cells and identify Ser431 in keratin 8 as the crucial residue whose phosphorylation is required and sufficient to induce keratin reorganization and consequently enhanced migration of human epithelial tumor cells.

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Background:The protein kinase D (PKD) family is involved in the control of cell motility and proliferation. Results: PKD1 controls growth of cancer cells through phosphorylation of Snail1 at Ser-11. Conclusion: Only PKD1, but not PKD2, mediates isoform-specific control of pancreatic cancer cell proliferation through Snail1. Significance: We demonstrate for the first time isoform-specific control of pancreatic cancer growth by a single phosphorylation of a substrate.

Protein kinase D2 (PKD2) is a member of the PKD family of serine/threonine kinases, a subfamily of the CAMK super-family. PKDs have a critical role in cell motility, migration and invasion of cancer cells. Expression of PKD isoforms is deregulated in various tumours and PKDs, in particular PKD2, have been implicated in the regulation of tumour angiogenesis. In order to further elucidate the role of PKD2 in tumours, we investigated the signalling context of this kinase by performing an extensive substrate screen by in vitro expression cloning (IVEC). We identified a novel splice variant of calcium and integrin-binding protein 1, termed CIB1a, as a potential substrate of PKD2. CIB1 is a widely expressed protein that has been implicated in angiogenesis, cell migration and proliferation, all important hallmarks of cancer, and CIB1a was found to be highly expressed in various cancer cell lines. We identify Ser(118) as the major PKD2 phosphorylation site in CIB1a and show that PKD2 interacts with CIB1a via its alanine and proline-rich domain. Furthermore, we confirm that CIB1a is indeed a substrate of PKD2 also in intact cells using a phosphorylation-specific antibody against CIB1a-Ser(118). Functional analysis of PKD2-mediated CIB1a phosphorylation revealed that on phosphorylation, CIB1a mediates tumour cell invasion, tumour growth and angiogenesis by mediating PKD-induced vascular endothelial growth factor secretion by the tumour cells. Thus, CIB1a is a novel mediator of PKD2-driven carcinogenesis and a potentially interesting therapeutic target.