Prostate cancer induces bone metastasis through Wnt-induced bone morphogenetic protein-dependent and independent mechanisms

Cancer Res. 2008 Jul 15;68(14):5785-94. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-6541.

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is frequently accompanied by osteosclerotic (i.e., excessive bone production) bone metastases. Although bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) and Wnts are mediators of PCa-induced osteoblastic activity, the relation between them in PCa bone metastases is unknown. The goal of this study was to define this relationship. Wnt3a and Wnt5a administration or knockdown of DKK-1, a Wnt inhibitor, induced BMP-4 and 6 expression and promoter activation in PCa cells. DKK-1 blocked Wnt activation of the BMP promoters. Transfection of C4-2B cells with axin, an inhibitor of canonical Wnt signaling, blocked Wnt3a but not Wnt5a induction of the BMP promoters. In contrast, Jnk inhibitor I blocked Wnt5a but not Wnt3a induction of the BMP promoters. Wnt3a, Wnt5a, and conditioned medium (CM) from C4-2B or LuCaP23.1 cells induced osteoblast differentiation in vitro. The addition of DKK-1 and Noggin, a BMP inhibitor, to CM diminished PCa CM-induced osteoblast differentiation in a synergistic fashion. However, pretreatment of PCa cells with DKK-1 before collecting CM blocked osteoblast differentiation, whereas pretreatment with Noggin only partially reduced osteoblast differentiation, and pretreatment with both DKK-1 and Noggin had no greater effect than pretreatment with DKK-1 alone. Additionally, knockdown of BMP expression in C4-2B cells inhibited Wnt-induced osteoblastic activity. These results show that PCa promotes osteoblast differentiation through canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways that stimulate both BMP-dependent and BMP-independent osteoblast differentiation. These results show a clear link between Wnts and BMPs in PCa-induced osteoblast differentiation and provide novel targets, including the noncanonical Wnt pathway, for therapy of PCa.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Animals
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism*
  • Wnt-5a Protein
  • Wnt3 Protein
  • Wnt3A Protein

Substances

  • BMP4 protein, human
  • BMP6 protein, human
  • Bmp4 protein, mouse
  • Bmp6 protein, mouse
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6
  • Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
  • DKK1 protein, human
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • WNT3A protein, human
  • WNT5A protein, human
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Wnt-5a Protein
  • Wnt3 Protein
  • Wnt3A Protein
  • Wnt3a protein, mouse