S100A4-induced cell motility and metastasis is restricted by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor calcimycin in colon cancer cells

Mol Biol Cell. 2011 Sep;22(18):3344-54. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E10-09-0739. Epub 2011 Jul 27.

Abstract

The calcium-binding protein S100A4 is a central mediator of metastasis formation in colon cancer. S100A4 is a target gene of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is constitutively active in the majority of colon cancers. In this study a high-throughput screen was performed to identify small-molecule compounds targeting the S100A4-promoter activity. In this screen calcimycin was identified as a transcriptional inhibitor of S100A4. In colon cancer cells calcimycin treatment reduced S100A4 mRNA and protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. S100A4-induced cellular processes associated with metastasis formation, such as cell migration and invasion, were inhibited by calcimycin in an S100A4-specific manner. Calcimycin reduced β-catenin mRNA and protein levels despite the expression of Δ45-mutated β-catenin. Consequently, calcimycin inhibited Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity and the expression of prominent β-catenin target genes such as S100A4, cyclin D1, c-myc, and dickkopf-1. Finally, calcimycin treatment of human colon cancer cells inhibited metastasis formation in xenografted immunodeficient mice. Our results demonstrate that targeting the expression of S100A4 with calcimycin provides a functional strategy to restrict cell motility in colon cancer cells. Therefore calcimycin may be useful for studying S100A4 biology, and these studies may serve as a lead for the development of treatments for colon cancer metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Calcimycin / pharmacology*
  • Calcimycin / therapeutic use
  • Cell Movement / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Genes, Reporter
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary
  • Luciferases / biosynthesis
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4
  • S100 Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • S100 Proteins / genetics
  • S100 Proteins / metabolism*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / drug effects*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4
  • S100 Proteins
  • S100A4 protein, human
  • Calcimycin
  • Luciferases