Abstract 857: ELF3 modulates mesenchymal to epithelial transition through regulation of CD44 variant isoform expression in pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Kabashima-Niibe Ayano , Takaishi Hiromasa , Kanai Takanori , Saya Hideyuki , Gores Gregory J. , Higuchi Hajime 
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND: Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition (MET) may participate in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) metastasis. CD44 proteins are cell membrane proteins which function as co-receptors regulating many cellular functions. Some reports have shown that isoform switching from CD44 variant form (CD44v) to CD44 standard form (CD44s) takes place during the EMT. (Brown et al., J. Clin. Invest, 2011, Yae et al., Nat Commun., 2012). The AIM of this study was to explore the regulation of CD44 isoform switching in PDAC cells.

Methods: The expression levels of CD44v and CD44s in PDAC cell lines were assessed by immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analysis. PDAC cell lines were implanted into immunodeficiency mice and treated with sulfasarazine for 14 days. Sulfasarazine, which inhibits glutamate-cysteine transport, reduces CD44v-dependent cell growth. CD44v or CD44s positive cells were isolated using flow cytometry and induced to undergo the EMT by TGF-β treatment (7.5ng/mL) for 72 hours. A doxycycline inducible system was employed to overexpress Slug, which promotes the EMT phenotype. To induce MET, the cells were released from TGF-β treatment and cultured for an additional 72 hours. E74-like ETS Transcription Factor 3 (ELF3) expression was knocked-down by siRNA transfection.

RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that CD44v protein is expressed specifically by PDAC with ductal structures within the complex tumor environment of these cancers. However, in contrast, CD44v expression was not observed in solitary infiltrating cancer cells. PANC-1, AsPC-1 and SUIT-2 PDAC cell lines expressed both CD44v and CD44s isoforms. Tumor mass in implanted PANC-1, AsPC-1 and SUIT-2 cells were reduced 69%, 50% and 36% respectively by sulfasarazine treatment following 2 weeks of therapy. However, CD44v null HPAC cells were resistant to sulfasarazine therapy following implantation. E-cadherin was expressed in CD44v positive cells but not in CD44s positive cells, and both CD44v and E-cadherin protein were reduced by TGF-β treatment. Slug over expressed cells were resistant to sulfasarazine treatment compared to non-Slug-induced cells. Removal of TGF-β restored both CD44v and E-cadherin expression levels which consistently occurs with MET. However, restoration of CD44v expression was diminished when ELF3 expression was reduced by siRNA transfection.

CONCLUSION: The isoform switching between CD44v and CD44s was reversible. The expression of CD44v isoform appears to be controlled by ELF3 during MET.

Citation Format: Ayano Kabashima-Niibe, Hiromasa Takaishi, Takanori Kanai, Hideyuki Saya, Gregory J. Gores, Hajime Higuchi. ELF3 modulates mesenchymal to epithelial transition through regulation of CD44 variant isoform expression in pancreatic cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 857. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-857