Caspase-8 association with the focal adhesion complex promotes tumor cell migration and metastasis

Cancer Res. 2009 May 1;69(9):3755-63. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-3937. Epub 2009 Apr 21.

Abstract

Caspase-8 is a proapoptotic protease that suppresses neuroblastoma metastasis by inducing programmed cell death. Paradoxically, caspase-8 can also promote cell migration among nonapoptotic cells; here, we show that caspase-8 can promote metastasis when apoptosis is compromised. Migration is enhanced by caspase-8 recruitment to the cellular migration machinery following integrin ligation. Caspase-8 catalytic activity is not required for caspase-8-enhanced cell migration; rather, caspase-8 interacts with a multiprotein complex that can include focal adhesion kinase and calpain 2 (CPN2), enhancing cleavage of focal adhesion substrates and cell migration. Caspase-8 association with CPN2/calpastatin disrupts calpastatin-mediated inhibition of CPN2. In vivo, knockdown of either caspase-8 or CPN2 disrupts metastasis among apoptosis-resistant tumors. This unexpected molecular collaboration provides an explanation for the continued or elevated expression of caspase-8 observed in many tumors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alstrom Syndrome
  • Animals
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Calpain / metabolism
  • Caspase 8 / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / physiology*
  • Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Focal Adhesions / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neuroblastoma / enzymology
  • Neuroblastoma / metabolism*
  • Neuroblastoma / pathology
  • Talin / metabolism

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Talin
  • calpastatin
  • Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • CASP8 protein, human
  • Calpain
  • Caspase 8
  • CAPN2 protein, human