A role for iron in Wnt signalling

Oncogene. 2008 Feb 7;27(7):966-75. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210711. Epub 2007 Aug 13.

Abstract

There is an emerging body of evidence implicating iron in carcinogenesis and in particular colorectal cancer, but whether this involves Wnt signalling, a major oncogenic signalling pathway has not been studied. We aimed to determine the effect of iron loading on Wnt signalling using mutant APC (Caco-2 and SW480) and wild-type APC (HEK-293 and human primary fibroblasts) containing cell lines. Elevating cellular iron levels in Caco-2 and SW480 cells caused increased Wnt signalling as indicated by increased TOPFLASH reporter activity, increased mRNA expression of two known targets, c-myc and Nkd1, and increased cellular proliferation. In contrast wild-type APC and beta-catenin-containing lines, HEK 293 and human primary fibroblasts were not responsive to iron loading. This was verified in SW480 cells that no longer induced iron-mediated Wnt signalling when transfected with wild-type APC. The cell line LS174T, wild type for APC but mutant for beta-catenin, was also responsive suggesting that the role of iron is to regulate beta-catenin. Furthermore, we show that E-cadherin status has no influence on iron-mediated Wnt signalling. We thus speculate that excess iron could exacerbate tumorigenesis in the background of APC loss, a common finding in cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / metabolism*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cadherins / genetics
  • Cadherins / metabolism
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Ferrous Compounds / metabolism*
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Wnt Proteins / genetics
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism*
  • beta Catenin / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein
  • Cadherins
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Ferrous Compounds
  • MYC protein, human
  • NKD1 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Wnt Proteins
  • beta Catenin
  • ferrous sulfate
  • Luciferases