Seahorse-derived peptide suppresses invasive migration of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells by competing with intracellular α-enolase for plasminogen binding and inhibiting uPA-mediated activation of plasminogen

BMB Rep. 2014 Dec;47(12):691-6. doi: 10.5483/bmbrep.2014.47.12.235.

Abstract

α-Enolase is a glycolytic enzyme and a surface receptor for plasminogen. α-Enolase-bound plasminogen promotes tumor cell invasion and cancer metastasis by activating plasmin and consequently degrading the extracellular matrix degradation. Therefore, α-enolase and plasminogen are novel targets for cancer therapy. We found that the amino acid sequence of a peptide purified from enzymatic hydrolysates of seahorse has striking similarities to that of α-enolase. In this study, we report that this peptide competes with cellular α-enolase for plasminogen binding and suppresses urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA)-mediated activation of plasminogen, which results in decreased invasive migration of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. In addition, the peptide treatment decreased the expression levels of uPA compared to that of untreated controls. These results provide new insight into the mechanism by which the seahorse-derived peptide suppresses invasive properties of human cancer cells. Our findings suggest that this peptide could emerge as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects*
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / chemistry
  • Enzymes, Immobilized / metabolism
  • Fibrosarcoma / metabolism
  • Fibrosarcoma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Peptides / isolation & purification
  • Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / chemistry
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / metabolism*
  • Plasminogen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Plasminogen / genetics
  • Plasminogen / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Smegmamorpha / metabolism*
  • Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / genetics
  • Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / metabolism*

Substances

  • Enzymes, Immobilized
  • Peptides
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Plasminogen
  • Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase