Matrilysin 1 influences colon carcinoma cell migration by cleavage of the laminin-5 beta3 chain

Cancer Res. 2006 Dec 1;66(23):11228-37. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-1187.

Abstract

Matrilysin 1 [matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7)] is one of the most important metalloproteinases expressed in human tissues. This enzyme is generally not expressed by normal differentiated epithelial colon cells, but has been shown to be up-regulated in human colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Little is known about the role of MMP7 in cell invasion and its involvement in proteolytic processes. By searching the ligands of MMP7 in the colonic carcinoma cells HT29, we identified laminin-5/laminin-332 (LN5) as a specific target for MMP7 enzymatic activity. LN5, composed of alpha3, beta3, and gamma2 chains, is an important component of epithelial basement membranes where it induces firm adhesion and hemidesmosome formation. In this study, we show that LN5 and MMP7 are coexpressed in HT29 cells as well as in HT29 xenograft tumors and human colorectal adenocarcinomas. We provide evidence that human LN5 is a ligand for MMP7 and that a specific cleavage occurs in its beta3 chain, giving rise to a carboxyl-terminal beta3 chain fragment of 90 kDa. We have identified the MMP7 cleavage site at position Ala(515)-Ile(516) in the beta3 chain. Videomicroscopic analysis of HT29 cells plated on LN5 substrates reveals that the MMP7-processed LN5 significantly enhances cell motility. Moreover, the delayed migration of HT29 cells obtained after specific inhibition of MMP7 reinforces the hypothesis supporting its involvement in cell migration. Altogether, our results show that MMP7 is likely to play a crucial role in the regulation of carcinoma cell migration by targeting specific proteolytic processing of the LN5 beta3 chain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism*
  • Cell Movement*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colonic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • HT29 Cells
  • Humans
  • Kalinin
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 / genetics
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / metabolism
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transplantation, Heterologous

Substances

  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 7