Down-regulation of Filamin A interacting protein 1-like Is associated with promoter methylation and an invasive phenotype in breast, colon, lung and pancreatic cancers [corrected]

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 5;8(12):e82620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082620. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Identifying key mediators of cancer cell invasion and metastasis is critical to the development of more effective cancer therapies. We previously identified Filamin A interacting protein 1-like (FILIP1L) as an important inhibitor of cell migration and invasion in ovarian cancer. FILIP1L expression was inversely correlated with the invasive potential of ovarian cancer cell lines and ovarian cancer specimens. We also demonstrated that DNA methylation in the FILIP1L promoter was a mechanism by which FILIP1L was down-regulated in ovarian cancer. In our present study, we tested this observation in other cancer histologies: breast, colon, lung and pancreatic cancers. Both mRNA and protein expression of FILIP1L were down-regulated in these cancer cells compared with their normal epithelial cells. As in ovarian cancer, DNA methylation is a mechanism by which FILIP1L is down-regulated in these cancer histologies. Methylation status of the FILIP1L promoter was inversely correlated with FILIP1L expression. Reduced methylation in the FILIP1L promoter following treatment with a DNA demethylating agent was associated with restoration of FILIP1L expression in these cancer cells. Further, FILIP1L expression was inversely correlated with the invasive potential of these cancer cells. Re-expression of FILIP1L in FILIP1L-low expressing, highly-invasive cancer cell lines resulted in inhibition of cell invasion. Correspondingly, knockdown of FILIP1L in FILIP1L-high expressing, low-invasive cancer cell lines resulted in increase of cell invasion. Overall, these findings suggest that down-regulation of FILIP1L associated with DNA methylation is related with the invasive phenotype in various cancers. Thus, modulation of FILIP1L expression has the potential to be a target for cancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Carrier Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colonic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis*
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • DNA Methylation*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cytokines
  • FILIP1L protein, human
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins

Grants and funding

This research was supported in part by a generous gift from Linda and Earle Altman and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.