Abstract

The ability of carcinoma cells arising at primary sites to cross their underlying basement membrane (BM), a specialized form of extracellular matrix that subtends all epithelial cells, and to access the host vasculature are central features of the malignant phenotype. The initiation of the invasive phenotype has been linked to the aberrant expression of zinc-finger transcriptional repressors, like Snail1, which act by triggering an epithelial-mesenchymal cell-like transformation (EMT-like) via the regulation of largely undefined, downstream effectors. Herein, we find that Snail1 induces cancer cells to (i) degrade and perforate BM barriers, (ii) initiate angiogenesis, and (iii) and intravasate vascular networks in vivo via a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-dependent process. Unexpectedly, the complete Snail1 invasion program can be recapitulated by expressing directly either of the membrane-anchored metalloproteinases, MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP. The pro-invasive, angiogenic, and metastatic activities of MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP are unique relative to all other metalloproteinase family members and cannot be mimicked in vivo by the secreted MMPs, MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-9, or MMP-13. Further, siRNA-specific silencing of MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP ablates completely the ability of Snail1 to drive cancer cell BM invasion, induce angiogenesis, or trigger intravasation. Taken together, these data demonstrate that MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP cooperatively function as direct-acting, pro-invasive factors that confer Snail1-triggered cells with the key activities most frequently linked to morbidity and mortality in cancer.