C/EBPβ/AEP Signaling Regulates the Oxidative Stress in Malignant Cancers, Stimulating the Metastasis.

Abstract

Solid tumors start as a local disease, but some are capable of metastasizing to the lymph nodes and distant organs. The hypoxic microenvironment, which is critical during cancer development, plays a key role in regulating cancer progression and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating the disseminated cancer cell metastasis remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that C/EBPβ/AEP signaling that is upregulated in breast cancers mediates oxidative stress and lung metastasis, and inactivation of asparagine endopeptidase (AEP, also known as legumain) robustly regulates breast cancer reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metastasis. AEP, a protease activated in acidic conditions, is overexpressed in numerous types of cancer and promotes metastasis. Employing a breast cancer cell line MDA-MD-231, we show that C/EBPβ, an oxidative stress or inflammation-activated transcription factor, and its downstream target AEP mediate ROS production as well as migration and invasion in cancer cells. Deficiency of AEP in the MMTV-PyMT transgenic breast cancer mouse model significantly regulates oxidative stress and suppresses lung metastasis. Administration of an innovative AEP inhibitor substantially mitigates ROS production and cancer metastasis. Hence, our study demonstrates that pharmacologic inhibition of AEP activity might provide a disease-modifying strategy to suppress cancer metastasis.

• Authors: Kecheng Lei, Seong Su Kang, Eun Hee Ahn, Chun Chen, Jianming Liao, Xia Liu, Hua Li, Laura E Edgington-Mitchell, Lingjing Jin, Keqiang Ye
• Journal: Molecular cancer therapeutics (Mol Cancer Ther) Vol. 20 Issue 9 Pg. 1640-1652 (09 2021) ISSN: 1538-8514 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34158346 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: ©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Cysteine Endopeptidases
• asparaginylendopeptidase

Topics

• Animals
• Apoptosis
• Biomarkers, Tumor (genetics, metabolism)
• Breast Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism, pathology)
• CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta (genetics, metabolism)
• Cell Proliferation
• Cysteine Endopeptidases (genetics, metabolism)
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism, secondary)
• Mice
• Oxidative Stress
• Reactive Oxygen Species (metabolism)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured
• Tumor Microenvironment
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays