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Wnt/Frizzled signaling in Ewing sarcoma
Author(s) -
Üren Aykut,
Wolf Vladimir,
Sun YuFeng,
Azari Amir,
Rubin Jeffrey S.,
Toretsky Jeffrey A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.20124
Subject(s) - wnt signaling pathway , frizzled , lrp6 , cancer research , biology , lrp5 , beta catenin , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , wnt3a , signal transduction , genetics
Background The Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) is a set of neuroectodermal malignancies that typically presents in the second decade and has a poor prognosis due to metastatic disease. Wnt signaling has a critical role in the normal development of multiple neuroectodermal tissues and also contributes to the neoplastic properties of tumor cells of neuroectodermal origin. Procedure We surveyed the expression of Wnts and their receptors in nine ESFT cell lines by RT‐PCR analysis. We also tested biological response of ESFT cell lines to exogenous Wnts in β‐catenin stabilization, actin stress fiber formation, and chemotaxis assays. Results We detected Wnt‐10b in all the lines, and most also expressed Wnt‐5a, Wnt‐11, and Wnt‐13. Several Frizzleds (Fz) and the Wnt co‐receptors, low density lipoprotein‐receptor‐like proteins 5 and 6 were also expressed. We observed a marked stimulation of the β‐catenin/canonical Wnt pathway in ESFT cells treated with Wnt‐3a. Wnt‐3a induced morphologic changes characterized by the formation of long cytoplasmic extensions in ESFT cells. We also observed chemotaxis of ESFT cells in response to Wnt‐3a. Conclusions These results provide evidence that components of Wnt/Fz pathway are expressed and an intact Wnt/Frizzled signaling pathway exists in ESFT cell lines. Activation of the Wnt pathway in ESFT suggests that Wnt modulates cell motility rather than cell proliferation. Hence, activation of this pathway may influence metastatic potential of ESFT. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.