Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3), also termed PTP4A3, is a metastasis-related protein tyrosine phosphatase. Its expression levels are significantly correlated with the progression and survival of a wide range of malignant tumors. However, the mechanism by which PRL-3 promotes tumor invasion and metastasis is not clear. In the present study, the functions of PRL-3 were systemically analyzed in the key events of metastasis including, motility and adhesion. A cell wounding assay, cell spread assay and cell-matrix adhesion assay were carried out to analyze the cell movement and cell adhesion ability of colon cancer, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assay was confirmed the interaction of PRL-3 and JAM2. It was demonstrated that PRL-3 promoted the motility of Flp-In-293 and LoVo colon cancer cells and increased the distribution of cell skeleton proteins on the cell protrusions. In addition, stably expressing PRL-3 reduced the spreading speed of colon cancer cells and cell adhesion on uncoated, fibronectin-coated and collagen I-coated plates. Mechanistically, junction adhesion molecular 2 (JAM2) was identified as a novel interacting protein of PRL-3. The findings of the present study revealed the roles of PRL-3 in cancer cell motility and adhesion process, and provided information on the possibility of PRL-3 increase cell-cell adhesion by associating with JAM2.
Keywords: JAM2; PRL-3; cell adhesion; cell motility.