SPROUTY2 is a β-catenin and FOXO3a target gene indicative of poor prognosis in colon cancer

Oncogene. 2014 Apr 10;33(15):1975-85. doi: 10.1038/onc.2013.140. Epub 2013 Apr 29.

Abstract

SPROUTY2 (SPRY2) is an intracellular regulator of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling involved in cell growth, differentiation and tumorigenesis. Here, we show that SPRY2 is a target gene of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway that is abnormally activated in more than 90% of colon carcinomas. In human colon cancer cells, SPRY2 expression is induced by β-catenin in co-operation with the transcription factor FOXO3a instead of lymphoid enhancer factor/T-cell factor proteins. We found binding of β-catenin to the SPRY2 promoter at FOXO3a response elements. In vivo, cells marked by nuclear β-catenin and FOXO3a express SPRY2 in proliferative epithelial tissues, such as intestinal mucosa and epidermis. Consistently, inducible β-catenin deletion in mice reduced Spry2 expression in the small intestine. Moreover, SPRY2 protein expression correlated with nuclear β-catenin and FOXO3a colocalization in human colon carcinomas. Importantly, the amount of SPRY2 protein correlated with shorter overall survival of colon cancer patients. Our data reveal SPRY2 as a novel Wnt/β-catenin and FOXO3a target gene indicative of poor prognosis in colon cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / mortality
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Colonic Neoplasms / mortality
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Forkhead Box Protein O3
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics*
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Prognosis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • beta Catenin / genetics*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • FOXO3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Box Protein O3
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • SPRY2 protein, human
  • beta Catenin