Reciprocal Signaling Regulates Tumor Cell Phenotypes
(A) High-content live-cell TMRE analysis of PDA mitochondrial polarity. As predicted by heterocellular proteomics, reciprocal signaling restores mitochondrial polarity via SHH, IGF1R/AXL, and AKT (Δψm) (n = 9). ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
(B) PDA mitochondrial flux analysis. As predicted by heterocellular proteomics, reciprocal signaling increases spare mitochondrial capacity when compared to cell-autonomous KRASG12D alone (two-way ANOVA). OCR, oxygen consumption rate. ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
(C) Cell-autonomous and reciprocal proliferation of luciferase-labeled tumor cells. Reciprocal KRASG12D (heterocellular, red) increases PDA proliferation relative to cell-autonomous KRASG12D (homocellular, orange). Inhibitors of reciprocal nodes only perturb heterocellular tumor cells (n = 3). ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
(D) High-content TUNEL imaging of PDA apoptosis. Reciprocal signaling protects tumor cells from apoptosis beyond cell-autonomous KRASG12D. Inhibiting IGF1R/AXL or AKT increases apoptosis when reciprocal signaling is active (n = 9). ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
(E) Caspase 3/7 activity in (D) (n = 3). ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
(F) Semi-solid PDA colony formation. Reciprocal signals increase colony formation (via SHH, IGF1R/AXL, and AKT) relative to cell-autonomous KRASG12D alone (n = 3). ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
See also .