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Title: Secreted AGR2 promotes invasion of colorectal cancer cells via Wnt11-mediated non-canonical Wnt signaling

Journal Article · · Experimental Cell Research
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  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China)
  2. Research Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China)

Highlights: • Secreted AGR2 does significantly promote CRC cell migration and metastasis. • Secreted AGR2 elevates the expression of Wnt11 in CRC. • Secreted AGR2 promotes CRC migration and metastasis through Wnt11-meadied non-canonical Wnt signaling. • Secreted AGR2 negatively regulates the activity of the canonical β-catenin pathway via activating CaMKII-dependent non-canonical Wnt signaling. Human anterior gradient-2 (AGR2), a member of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family, is present in both intracellular and extracellular compartments. Although AGR2 is overexpressed in various human cancers and reported to promote aggressive tumor features, little is known regarding AGR2′s extracellular functions during tumorigenesis. Here, we demonstrate that secreted AGR2 promotes cell migration and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, secreted AGR2 elevated Wnt11 expression, triggering non-canonical Wnt signaling: the Ca{sup 2+}/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and c-jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways. Knockdown of Wnt11 or pretreatment with CaMKII and JNK inhibitors reversed the secreted AGR2′s migration-promoting effect. Further studies revealed that AGR2 antagonized canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling via activating CaMKII. Collectively, our study uncovers a critical role of Wnt11-mediated non-canonical Wnt signaling (CaMKII and JNK pathways) in secreted AGR2′s promoted migration of CRC cells. These results raise the possibility that secreted AGR2 may be a potential therapeutic target towards inhibiting CRC metastasis.

OSTI ID:
23082432
Journal Information:
Experimental Cell Research, Vol. 364, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0014-4827
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English