6624

FSCN1

fascin actin-bundling protein 1;FSCN1;fascin actin-bundling protein 1

55 kDa actin-bundling protein|fascin|fascin homolog 1, actin-bundling protein|singed-like (fascin homolog, sea urchin)

7p22

protein-coding

The actin-bundling protein, fascin, is a member of the cytoskeletal protein family that has restricted expression in specialized normal cells. However, many studies have reported the induction of this protein in various transformed cells including breast cancer cells. While the role of fascin in the regulation of breast cancer cell migration has been previously shown, the underlying molecular mechanism remained poorly defined. We have used variety of immunological and functional assays to study whether fascin regulates breast cancer metastasis-associated molecules. In this report we found a direct relationship between fascin expression in breast cancer patients and; metastasis and shorter disease-free survival. Most importantly, in vitro interference with fascin expression by loss or gain of function demonstrates a central role for this protein in regulating the cell morphology, migration and invasion potential. Our results show that fascin regulation of invasion is mediated via modulating several metastasis-associated genes. We show for the first time that fascin down-regulates the expression and nuclear translocation of a key metastasis suppressor protein known as breast cancer metastasis suppressor-1 (BRMS1). In addition, fascin up-regulates NF-kappa B activity, which is essential for metastasis. Importantly, fascin up-regulates other proteins that are known to be critical for the execution of metastasis such as urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and the matrix metalloproteases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. This study demonstrates that fascin expression in breast cancer cells establishes a gene expression profile consistent with metastatic tumors and offers a potential therapeutic intervention in metastatic breast cancer treatment through fascin targeting.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported miR-145 dysregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, miR-145 profiles were compared between CRC and corresponding non-tumour tissues. METHODS: The expression levels of miR-145 were analysed in CRC cell lines and tumour tissues by real-time PCR. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed direct targets. The functional effects of miR-145 were examined in transfected CRC cells in vitro and in vivo using established assays. RESULTS: Downregulation of miR-145 was detected in most primary CRC tumours, and was significantly correlated with a more aggressive phenotype of CRC in patients. In CRC cell lines, ectopic overexpression of miR-145 inhibited cell proliferation, motility and invasion in vitro. Stable overexpression of miR-145 suppressed tumour growth and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Further studies indicated that miR-145 may directly interact with the 3-untranslated region (3-UTR) of Fascin-1 messenger RNA (mRNA), downregulating its mRNA and protein expression levels. In clinical specimens, Fascin-1 expression was negatively correlated with miR-145 expression. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-145 has a critical role in the inhibition of invasive and metastatic capacities of CRC, probably through directly targeting Fascin-1. This miRNA may be involved in the development and progression of CRC.

metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with breast, lung, and head and neck cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying metastases in these cancers remain unclear. We found that the p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2)-cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway is commonly activated in diverse metastatic human cancer cells, leading to up-regulation of a CREB transcription target Fascin-1. We also observed that the protein expression patterns of RSK2 and Fascin-1 correlate in primary human tumor tissue samples from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. Moreover, knockdown of RSK2 disrupts filopodia formation and bundling in highly invasive cancer cells, leading to attenuated cancer cell invasion in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo, whereas expression of Fascin-1 significantly rescues these phenotypes. Furthermore, targeting RSK2 with the small molecule RSK inhibitor FMK-MEA effectively attenuated the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Taken together, our findings for the first time link RSK2-CREB signaling to filopodia formation and bundling through the up-regulation of Fascin-1, providing a proinvasive and prometastatic advantage to human cancers. Therefore, protein effectors of the RSK2-CREB-Fascin-1 pathway represent promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the clinical prognosis and treatment of metastatic human cancers.

metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with breast, lung, and head and neck cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying metastases in these cancers remain unclear. We found that the p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2)-cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway is commonly activated in diverse metastatic human cancer cells, leading to up-regulation of a CREB transcription target Fascin-1. We also observed that the protein expression patterns of RSK2 and Fascin-1 correlate in primary human tumor tissue samples from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. Moreover, knockdown of RSK2 disrupts filopodia formation and bundling in highly invasive cancer cells, leading to attenuated cancer cell invasion in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo, whereas expression of Fascin-1 significantly rescues these phenotypes. Furthermore, targeting RSK2 with the small molecule RSK inhibitor FMK-MEA effectively attenuated the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Taken together, our findings for the first time link RSK2-CREB signaling to filopodia formation and bundling through the up-regulation of Fascin-1, providing a proinvasive and prometastatic advantage to human cancers. Therefore, protein effectors of the RSK2-CREB-Fascin-1 pathway represent promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the clinical prognosis and treatment of metastatic human cancers.

Fascin1, an actin-binding protein, is overexpressed in many kinds of tumors. However, its exact role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unclear. We observed that expression of fascin1 was associated with lymph nodes metastasis and TNM staging but not proliferation in NSCLC by using immunohistochemistry. By generating A549 lung cancer clones stably overexpressing different fascin1 protein, we further confirmed that fascin1 could promote A549 cell migration and invasiveness in vitro and in vivo. Using cell proliferation assay, cell cycle analysis in vitro and tumorigenicity assay in vivo, we showed that fascin1 had little influence on proliferation in A549 cells. These results suggest that fascin1 plays a significant role in NSCLC metastasis and may be a target of intervening to prevent the metastasis of NSCLC.