Haematopoietic focal adhesion kinase deficiency alters haematopoietic homeostasis to drive tumour metastasis.

Abstract

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related death and thus understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this process is critical. Here, our data demonstrate, contrary to established dogma, that loss of haematopoietic-derived focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is sufficient to enhance tumour metastasis. Using both experimental and spontaneous metastasis models, we show that genetic ablation of haematopoietic FAK does not affect primary tumour growth but enhances the incidence of metastasis significantly. At a molecular level, haematopoietic FAK deletion results in an increase in PU-1 levels and decrease in GATA-1 levels causing a shift of hematopoietic homeostasis towards a myeloid commitment. The subsequent increase in circulating granulocyte number, with an increase in serum CXCL12 and granulocyte CXCR4 levels, was required for augmented metastasis in mice lacking haematopoietic FAK. Overall our findings provide a mechanism by which haematopoietic FAK controls cancer metastasis.

• Authors: Silvia Batista, Eleni Maniati, Louise E Reynolds, Bernardo Tavora, Delphine M Lees, Isabelle Fernandez, George Elia, Oriol Casanovas, Cristina Lo Celso, Thorsten Hagemann, Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke
• Journal: Nature communications (Nat Commun) Vol. 5 Pg. 5054 (Oct 01 2014) ISSN: 2041-1723 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25270220 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Chemokine CXCL12
• GATA1 Transcription Factor
• Gata1 protein, mouse
• Receptors, CXCR4
• Focal Adhesion Kinase 1
• Ptk2 protein, mouse

Topics

• Animals
• Chemokine CXCL12 (genetics, metabolism)
• Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 (deficiency, genetics)
• GATA1 Transcription Factor (genetics, metabolism)
• Hematopoietic System (enzymology)
• Homeostasis
• Humans
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Neoplasms (enzymology, genetics, pathology, physiopathology)
• Receptors, CXCR4 (genetics, metabolism)