TY - JOUR
T1 - ARHGAP–RhoA signaling provokes homotypic adhesion-triggered cell death of metastasized diffuse-type gastric cancer
AU - Komatsu, Masayuki
AU - Ichikawa, Hitoshi
AU - Chiwaki, Fumiko
AU - Sakamoto, Hiromi
AU - Komatsuzaki, Rie
AU - Asaumi, Makoto
AU - Tsunoyama, Kazuhisa
AU - Fukagawa, Takeo
AU - Matsushita, Hiromichi
AU - Boku, Narikazu
AU - Matsusaki, Keisuke
AU - Takeshita, Fumitaka
AU - Yoshida, Teruhiko
AU - Sasaki, Hiroki
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation (Program ID10-41), by the National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund (28-A-11, 29-A-2, and 2020-J-2), by AMED (Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, JP20ck0106519), and by Astellas Pharma, Inc (CH27066). We thank H. Nikki March, PhD, from Edanz ( https://jp.edanz.com/ac ) for editing a draft of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2022/10/21
Y1 - 2022/10/21
N2 - Genetic alteration of Rho GTPase-activating proteins (ARHGAP) and GTPase RhoA is a hallmark of diffuse-type gastric cancer and elucidating its biological significance is critical to comprehensively understanding this malignancy. Here, we report that gene fusions of ARHGAP6/ARHGAP26 are frequent genetic events in peritoneally-metastasized gastric and pancreatic cancer. From the malignant ascites of patients, we established gastric cancer cell lines that spontaneously gain hotspot RHOA mutations or four different ARHGAP6/ARHGAP26 fusions. These alterations critically downregulate RhoA–ROCK–MLC2 signaling, which elicits cell death. Omics and functional analyses revealed that the downstream signaling initiates actin stress fibers and reinforces intercellular junctions via several types of catenin. E-cadherin-centered homotypic adhesion followed by lysosomal membrane permeabilization is a pivotal mechanism in cell death. These findings support the tumor-suppressive nature of ARHGAP–RhoA signaling and might indicate a new avenue of drug discovery against this refractory cancer.
AB - Genetic alteration of Rho GTPase-activating proteins (ARHGAP) and GTPase RhoA is a hallmark of diffuse-type gastric cancer and elucidating its biological significance is critical to comprehensively understanding this malignancy. Here, we report that gene fusions of ARHGAP6/ARHGAP26 are frequent genetic events in peritoneally-metastasized gastric and pancreatic cancer. From the malignant ascites of patients, we established gastric cancer cell lines that spontaneously gain hotspot RHOA mutations or four different ARHGAP6/ARHGAP26 fusions. These alterations critically downregulate RhoA–ROCK–MLC2 signaling, which elicits cell death. Omics and functional analyses revealed that the downstream signaling initiates actin stress fibers and reinforces intercellular junctions via several types of catenin. E-cadherin-centered homotypic adhesion followed by lysosomal membrane permeabilization is a pivotal mechanism in cell death. These findings support the tumor-suppressive nature of ARHGAP–RhoA signaling and might indicate a new avenue of drug discovery against this refractory cancer.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41388-022-02469-6
DO - 10.1038/s41388-022-02469-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 36127398
AN - SCOPUS:85138421461
SN - 0950-9232
VL - 41
SP - 4779
EP - 4794
JO - Oncogene
JF - Oncogene
IS - 43
ER -
