SLURP-1 and -2 in normal, immortalized and malignant oral keratinocytes.

Abstract

The secreted mammalian Ly-6/urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-related proteins (SLURP)-1 and -2 are produced by keratinocytes comprising the mucocutaneous epithelium. They regulate in autocrine and paracrine ways cell growth and differentiation through the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) expressed on the plasma membrane. Keratinocyte nAChRs are targeted by tobacco-derived carcinogenic nitrosamines 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) that can induce tumorigenic transformation of Het-1A keratinocytes. In this study we asked if SLURPs could abolish tumorigenic effects of nitrosamines. Preincubation with either recombinant SLURP-1 or -2 in both cases considerably reduced the number of colonies in soft agar, and the number of tumor nodules >0.5 cm in diameter in Nu/Nu mice produced by Het-1A cells treated with nitrosamines. The levels of SLURP-1 and -2 mRNA transcripts in nitrosamine-transformed Het-1A cells as well as in the tumor cell lines SCC-25 and FaDu were significantly (p<0.05) less compared to normal gingival keratinocytes, which are probably the major source of the secreted SLURPs found in a sample of human saliva. The expression of SLURPs was decreased due to gene silencing of different nAChR alpha subunits with small hairpin RNA, suggesting that a positive feedback regulation is altered in malignant cells. Thus, SLURP-1 and -2 are efficient autocrine and paracrine ligands of keratinocyte nAChRs capable of preventing tobacco nitrosamine-induced malignant transformation of oral cells. These "proof-of-concept" preliminary results have salient clinical implications.

• Authors: Juan Arredondo, Alexander I Chernyavsky, Sergei A Grando
• Journal: Life sciences (Life Sci) Vol. 80 Issue 24-25 Pg. 2243-7 (May 30 2007) ISSN: 0024-3205 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 17280689 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Chemical References

• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
• Antigens, Ly
• GPI-Linked Proteins
• LYNX1 protein, human
• Membrane Glycoproteins
• Nitrosamines
• Protein Isoforms
• RNA, Small Interfering
• Receptors, Nicotinic
• Recombinant Proteins
• SLURP1 protein, human
• 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone
• Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
• N'-nitrosonornicotine

Topics

• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
• Antigens, Ly (genetics, metabolism)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Cells, Cultured
• GPI-Linked Proteins
• Gene Expression (drug effects)
• Humans
• Immunoblotting
• Keratinocytes (cytology, drug effects, metabolism)
• Membrane Glycoproteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Mouth Mucosa (cytology, metabolism)
• Nitrosamines (pharmacology)
• Protein Isoforms (genetics, metabolism)
• RNA Interference
• RNA, Small Interfering (genetics)
• Receptors, Nicotinic (genetics, metabolism)
• Recombinant Proteins (pharmacology)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Transfection
• Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator (genetics, metabolism)