Abstract 459: Targeting the non-junctional tumorigenic function of connexin43 in cancer cell plasticity
Authors: Lamouille Samy , Wheeler Christina E. , Deaver Stacie E. , Zeitz Michael J. , Sheng Zhi , Gourdie Robert G. , Smyth James W. 
Published: April 2023

Tumors are highly heterogeneous and dynamic, with both cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) displaying a high degree of plasticity contributing to metastasis and tumor recurrence following treatment. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) enables cancer cells to acquire migratory and invasive characteristics, access the circulatory system, and metastasize. Moreover, EMT is associated with therapeutic resistance and CSC generation. Our previous research demonstrated a redistribution of the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) from the plasma membrane to the cytosol during EMT. Using super-resolution STochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM), we have recently identified increased interaction of such intracellular Cx43 with microtubules during EMT and in primary glioblastoma (GBM) CSCs (GSCs). We further report a tumorigenic function for cytosolic Cx43/microtubule complexing in cancer cell and CSC proliferation, migration, and survival. Cx43 localization and activity is regulated by multiple sites for protein-protein interaction within the Cx43 carboxy-terminus (CT), including a tubulin binding domain. We employed a Cx43 mimetic peptide named JM2 (juxtamembrane 2) encompassing the microtubule binding sequence of the Cx43 CT. Following administration, JM2 efficiently and specifically disrupts the interaction of Cx43 with microtubules, inhibits GSC-derived neurosphere formation in vitro, and patient GBM-derived organoid growth ex vivo. Using an orthotopic GBM patient derived xenograft mouse model, we demonstrate in vivo that JM2 significantly decreases the number of GSCs within brain tumors, inhibits the formation of highly invasive GBM tumors, and increases mouse survival in combination with the chemotherapy alkylating agent temozolomide. Further examining the role of Cx43/microtubule complexing in the context of metastatic disease, we observed JM2 also decreases mesenchymal marker expression and inhibits cell migration and invasion in EMT models. Using an in vivo orthotopic breast cancer mouse model we find that intratumoral administration of JM2 prevents metastasis, significantly decreasing cancer cell lung colonization. Our findings validate targeting Cx43 complexing with microtubules, with JM2, as a novel therapeutic approach for cancer treatment through inhibition of EMT-associated increases in invasion and metastasis, and elimination of CSCs. Modulation of non-junctional Cx43 functions therefore represents a viable therapeutic approach to target cellular plasticity with broad therapeutic implications for many cancers.

Citation Format: Samy Lamouille, Christina E. Wheeler, Stacie E. Deaver, Michael J. Zeitz, Zhi Sheng, Robert G. Gourdie, James W. Smyth. Targeting the non-junctional tumorigenic function of connexin43 in cancer cell plasticity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 459.