Paxillin Regulates Androgen- and Epidermal Growth Factor-induced MAPK Signaling and Cell Proliferation in Prostate Cancer Cells (original) (raw)

2010, Journal of Biological Chemistry

Although transcriptional effects of androgens have been extensively studied, mechanisms regulating transcription-independent (nongenomic) androgen actions are poorly understood. Previously, we have shown that paxillin, a multidomain adaptor protein, is a critical regulator of testosterone-induced MAPKsignaling during Xenopus oocyte maturation. Here we examine the nongenomic effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in prostate cancer cells, focusing on how paxillin mediates Erk signaling and downstream physiologic actions. We show that in LnCAP cells DHT functions as a growth factor that indirectly activates the EGF-receptor (EGFR) via androgen receptor binding and matrix metalloproteinase-mediated release of EGFR ligands. Interestingly, siRNA-mediated knockdown of paxillin expression in androgen-dependent LnCAP cells as well as in androgen-independent PC3 cells abrogates DHT-and/or EGFinduced Erk signaling. Furthermore, EGFR-induced Erk activation requires Src-mediated phosphorylation of paxillin on tyrosines 31/118. In contrast, paxillin is not required for PKCinduced Erk signaling. However, Erk-mediated phosphorylation of paxillin on serines 83/126/130 is still needed for both EGFR and PKC-mediated cellular proliferation. Thus, paxillin serves as a specific upstream regulator of Erk in response to receptortyrosine kinase signaling but as a general regulator of downstream Erk actions regardless of agonist. Importantly, Erk-mediated serine phosphorylation of paxillin is also required for DHT-induced prostate-specific antigen mRNA expression in LnCAP cells as well as EGF-induced cyclin D1 mRNA expression in PC3 cells, suggesting that paxillin may regulate prostate cancer proliferation by serving as a liaison between extra-nuclear kinase signaling and intra-nuclear transcriptional signals. Thus, paxillin may prove to be a novel diagnostic or therapeutic target in prostate cancer. Physiological functions of androgens are mediated via either nuclear (genomic) or extra-nuclear (nongenomic) actions of androgen receptors (ARs). 2 Genomic actions involve binding of androgens to ARs, which then translocate to the nucleus, bind to androgen-response elements, and alter gene expression. In contrast, ARs also induce rapid nongenomic signals that are generally mediated by cross-talk between the AR and either G-proteins or growth factor receptors (1-4). Although transcriptional effects of androgens have been extensively studied, mechanisms regulating nongenomic actions of androgens are poorly understood. One potential regulator of nongenomic androgen actions is paxillin. Paxillin is a multidomain adaptor protein that integrates many signals from integrins, cell surface receptors, and growth factors (10, 11). Through these interactions, paxillin regulates a variety of physiological functions, including matrix organization, cell motility, tissue remodeling, metastasis, gene expression, cell survival, and proliferation (10, 11). Paxillin is comprised of multiple structural domains that modulate protein-protein interactions (10) and numerous serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation targets that act as docking sites for various signaling proteins. Phosphorylation of these sites by growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinases, Src kinases, and serine/threonine kinases regulate adaptor molecule binding that ultimately coordinates complex cell signaling pathways (10). The importance of paxillin in normal physiological functions is further evident from global paxillin knockout studies, demonstrating that ablation of paxillin in mice is embryonic lethal (12, 13). We previously demonstrated that in Xenopus oocytes, paxillin is essential for non-genomic androgen-induced Erk signaling and subsequent Erk-mediated oocyte maturation (5). Specifically, paxillin is required for synthesis and activation of MOS (the germ cell Raf homolog), which then promotes MEK and subsequently Erk signaling (5). Interestingly, Erk-mediated phosphorylation of paxillin is also required for androgen-induced oocyte maturation. Thus, in oocytes, paxillin is both an affector and effector of Erk signaling. Here we significantly extend our findings in Xenopus oocytes to a mammalian somatic system. Given the well defined function of androgens and Erk signaling