Engagement of overexpressed Her2 with GEP100 induces autonomous invasive activities and provides a biomarker for metastases of lung adenocarcinoma

PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e25301. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025301. Epub 2011 Sep 22.

Abstract

Overexpression of Her2/ErbB2/Neu in cancer is often correlated with recurrent distant metastasis, although the mechanism still remains largely elusive. We have previously shown that EGFR, when tyrosine-phosphorylated, binds to GEP100/BRAG2 to activate Arf6, which induces cancer invasion and metastasis. We now show that overexpressed Her2 in lung adenocarcinoma cells also employs GEP100. Like EGFR-GEP100 binding, this association is primarily mediated by the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of GEP100 and Tyr1139/Tyr1196 of Her2. Tyr1139/Tyr1196 are autonomously phosphorylated, when Her2 is overexpressed. Accordingly, invasive activities mediated by the Her2-GEP100 pathway are not dependent on external factors. Blocking Her2-GEP100 binding, as well as its signaling pathway all inhibit cancer invasive activities. Moreover, our clinical study indicates that co-overexpression of Her2 with GEP100 in primary lung adenocarcinomas of patients is correlated with the presence of their node-metastasis with a statistical significance. Since the GEP100 PH domain interacts with both Her2 and EGFR, targeting this domain may provide novel cancer therapeutics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Cell Line
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / genetics
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism
  • Glutathione Transferase / genetics
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / genetics*
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport
  • GGA adaptor proteins
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • IQSEC1 protein, human
  • cytohesin-2
  • Glutathione Transferase
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2