Loss of Mel-18 induces tumor angiogenesis through enhancing the activity and expression of HIF-1α mediated by the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway

Oncogene. 2011 Nov 10;30(45):4578-89. doi: 10.1038/onc.2011.174. Epub 2011 May 23.

Abstract

Mel-18 has been implicated in several processes in tumor progression, in which the Akt pathway is involved as an important key molecular event. However, the function of Mel-18 in human cancers has not been fully established yet. Here, we examined the effect of Mel-18 on tumor angiogenesis in human breast cancer, and found that Mel-18 was a novel regulator of HIF-1α. Mel-18 negatively regulated the HIF-1α expression and its target gene VEGF transcription during both normoxia and hypoxia. We demonstrated that Mel-18 regulated the HIF-1α expression and activity via the PI3K/Akt pathway. Loss of Mel-18 downregulated Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression, consequently activating the PI3K/Akt/MDM2 pathway, and leading to an increase of HIF-1α protein level. Mel-18 modulated the HIF-1α transcriptional activity via regulating the cytoplasmic retention of FOXO3a, a downstream effector of Akt, and recruitment of HIF-1α/CBP complex to the VEGF promoter. Furthermore, our data shows that Mel-18 blocked tumor angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Mel-18 overexpression inhibited in vitro tube formation in human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs). Xenografts in NOD/SCID mice derived from stably Mel-18 knocked down MCF7 human breast cancer cells showed increased tumor volume, microvessel density, and phospho-Akt and HIF-1α expression levels. In conclusion, our findings provide that Mel-18 is a novel regulator of tumor angiogenesis through regulating HIF-1α and its target VEGF expressions mediated by the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway, suggesting a new tumor-suppressive role of Mel-18 in human breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / blood supply*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Forkhead Box Protein O3
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / biosynthesis*
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / genetics*
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / metabolism*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / metabolism*
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics*
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / biosynthesis
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / genetics
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • FOXO3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Box Protein O3
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • HIF1A protein, human
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • PCGF2 protein, human
  • Repressor Proteins
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human