Extracellular domain shedding of the ALK receptor mediates neuroblastoma cell migration

• Although activating mutations of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) membrane receptor occur in similar to 10% of neuroblastoma (NB) tumors, the role of the wild-type (WT) receptor, which is aberrantly expressed in most non-mutated cases, is unclear. Both WT and mutant proteins undergo extracellular domain (ECD) cleavage. Here, we map the cleavage site to Asn654-Leu655 and demonstrate that cleavage inhibition of WT ALK significantly impedes NB cell migration with subsequent prolongation of survival in mouse models. Cleavage inhibition results in the downregulation of an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene signature, with decreased nuclear localization and occupancy of beta-catenin at EMT gene promoters. We further show that cleavage is mediated by matrix metalloproteinase 9, whose genetic and pharmacologic inactivation inhibits cleavage and decreases NB cell migration. Together, our results indicate a pivotal role forWTALK ECD cleavage in NB pathogenesis, which may be harnessed for therapeutic benefit.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Cellbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Cell Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

ALK receptor tyrosine kinase neuroblastoma cleavage MMP-9 migration

β-catenin

epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

wild-type ALK

extracellular domain

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