Effects of TGF-β signaling in clear cell renal cell carcinoma cells

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013 May 24;435(1):126-33. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.04.054. Epub 2013 Apr 22.

Abstract

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is by far the most common type of kidney cancer and is characterized by loss of the tumor suppressor gene von Hippel-Lindau (VHL). ccRCC patients with metastatic disease has poor prognosis and today's therapy is insufficient. The cytokine Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) has been extensively studied in tumor biology and is believed to serve a variety of functions in tumor progression. We have previously shown that inhibition of NOTCH signaling causes a reduced migratory and invasive capacity of ccRCC cells, at least partly by a cross-talk with the TGF-β pathway. In the present study we aimed to further clarify the role of TGF-β signaling in ccRCC. We investigated the effects of TGF-β pathway modulation and showed that TGF-β inhibition attenuates the invasive capacity of ccRCC cells. By performing expression profiling we obtained a gene signature of the TGF-β induced response in ccRCC cells. The expression analyses revealed an extensive overlap between the TGF-β response and genes regulated by the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). The link between the hypoxic and the TGF-β pathways was further corroborated by functional experiments, which demonstrated that TGF-β pathway activity was attenuated upon reintroduction of functional VHL in ccRCC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzamides / pharmacology
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Dioxoles / pharmacology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms / genetics
  • Kidney Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Kidney Neoplasms / pathology
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Smad2 Protein / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism*
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / pharmacology*
  • Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein / genetics
  • Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • 4-(5-benzo(1,3)dioxol-5-yl-4-pyridin-2-yl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)benzamide
  • Benzamides
  • Dioxoles
  • Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Smad2 Protein
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I