Specific oncogenic activity of the Src-family tyrosine kinase c-Yes in colon carcinoma cells

PLoS One. 2011 Feb 24;6(2):e17237. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017237.

Abstract

c-Yes, a member of the Src tyrosine kinase family, is found highly activated in colon carcinoma but its importance relative to c-Src has remained unclear. Here we show that, in HT29 colon carcinoma cells, silencing of c-Yes, but not of c-Src, selectively leads to an increase of cell clustering associated with a localisation of β-catenin at cell membranes and a reduction of expression of β-catenin target genes. c-Yes silencing induced an increase in apoptosis, inhibition of growth in soft-agar and in mouse xenografts, inhibition of cell migration and loss of the capacity to generate liver metastases in mice. Re-introduction of c-Yes, but not c -Src, restores transforming properties of c-Yes depleted cells. Moreover, we found that c-Yes kinase activity is required for its role in β-catenin localisation and growth in soft agar, whereas kinase activity is dispensable for its role in cell migration. We conclude that c-Yes regulates specific oncogenic signalling pathways important for colon cancer progression that is not shared with c-Src.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma / genetics
  • Carcinoma / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • HCT116 Cells
  • HT29 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mice, SCID
  • Organ Specificity / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes / physiology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins pp60(c-src) / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins pp60(c-src) / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • src-Family Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • src-Family Kinases / genetics
  • src-Family Kinases / physiology

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins pp60(c-src)
  • src-Family Kinases