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Binding of Galectin-3, a β-Galactoside-binding Lectin, to MUC1 Protein Enhances Phosphorylation of Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and Akt, Promoting Tumor Cell Malignancy.

Abstract
Both mucin 1 (MUC1) and galectin-3 are known to be overexpressed in various malignant tumors and associated with a poor prognosis. It has been extensively reported that MUC1 is involved in potentiation of growth factor-dependent signal transduction. Because some carbohydrate moieties carried on MUC1 change to preferable ones for binding of galectin-3 in cancer cells, we speculated that MUC1-mediated signaling may occur through direct binding of galectin-3. Immunochemical studies showed that the distribution of galectin-3 coincided with that of MUC1 in various human tumor tissues but not in human nonmalignant tissues, and the level of galectin-3 retained on the surface of various cancer cells paralleled that of MUC1. Treatment of MUC1-expressing cells with galectin-3 induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt following enhanced phosphorylation of MUC1 C-terminal domain, consistently promoting tumor cell malignancy. It is also noted that this enhanced phosphorylation occurred independently of EGF receptor-mediated signaling in both EGF receptor- and MUC1-expressing cells, and multivalency of galectin-3 was important for initiation of MUC1-mediated signaling. Expectedly, both silencing of endogenous galectin-3 and treatment with galectin-3 antagonists down-regulated cell proliferation of MUC1-expressing cells. These results suggest that the binding of galectin-3 to MUC1 plays a key role in MUC1-mediated signaling. Thus, constitutive activation of MUC1-mediated signaling in an autocrine/paracrine manner caused by ligation of galectin-3 promotes uncontrolled tumor cell malignancy. This signaling may be another MUC1-mediated pathway and function in parallel with a growth factor-dependent MUC1-mediated signaling pathway.
AuthorsYugo Mori, Kaoru Akita, Masakazu Yashiro, Tetsuji Sawada, Kosei Hirakawa, Takeomi Murata, Hiroshi Nakada
JournalThe Journal of biological chemistry (J Biol Chem) Vol. 290 Issue 43 Pg. 26125-40 (Oct 23 2015) ISSN: 1083-351X [Electronic] United States
PMID26342075 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Copyright© 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Chemical References
  • Galectin 3
  • MUC1 protein, human
  • Mucin-1
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
Topics
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Colonic Neoplasms (enzymology, metabolism, pathology)
  • Galectin 3 (metabolism)
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Humans
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System
  • Mucin-1 (metabolism)
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (metabolism)
  • Signal Transduction

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