Overexpression of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) transamidase subunits phosphatidylinositol glycan class T and/or GPI anchor attachment 1 induces tumorigenesis and contributes to invasion in human breast cancer

Cancer Res. 2006 Oct 15;66(20):9829-36. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-0506.

Abstract

Based on the oncogenic role of phosphatidylinositol glycan (PIG) class U in human tumors, we explored the role of two additional subunits of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) transamidase complex in human breast cancer. We found that PIG class T (PIG-T) and GPI anchor attachment 1 (GPAA1) were overexpressed in breast cancer cell lines and primary tumors. Forced expression of PIG-T and GPAA1 transformed NIH3T3 cells in vitro and increased tumorigenicity and invasion of these cells in vivo. Suppression of PIG-T expression in breast cancer cell lines led to inhibition of anchorage-independent growth. Moreover, we found that PIG-T and GPAA1 expression levels positively correlated with paxillin phosphorylation in invasive breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, suppression of PIG-T and GPAA1 expression led to a decrease in paxillin phosphorylation with a concomitant decrease in invasion ability. These results suggest that the GPI transamidase complex is composed of a group of proto-oncogenes that individually or as a group contribute to breast cancer growth. This aberrant growth is mediated, at least partially, by phosphorylation of paxillin, contributing to invasion and progression of breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acyltransferases / biosynthesis*
  • Acyltransferases / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Gene Amplification
  • Gene Dosage
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / biosynthesis*
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / genetics
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / biosynthesis*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Oncogenes*
  • Paxillin / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Subunits

Substances

  • GPAA1 protein, human
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Paxillin
  • Protein Subunits
  • Acyltransferases
  • COOH-terminal signal transamidase