Activation of cellular invasion by trefoil peptides and src is mediated by cyclooxygenase‐ and thromboxane A2 receptor‐dependent signaling pathways

ABSTRACT We have investigated the possible functional relationships between cellular invasion pathways induced by trefoil factors (TFFs), src, and the cyclooxygenases COX‐1 and COX‐2. Pharmacological inhibitors of the Rho small GTPase (C3 exoenzyme), phospholipase C (U‐73122), cyclooxygenases (SC‐560, NS‐398), and the thromboxane A2 receptor (TXA2‐R) antagonist SQ‐295 completely abolished invasion induced by intestinal trefoil factor, pS2, and src in kidney and colonic epithelial cells MDCKts.src and PCmsrc. In contrast, invasion was induced by the TXA2‐R mimetic U‐46619, constitutively activated forms of the heterotrimeric G‐proteins Gαq (AGαq), Gα12, Gα13 (AGα12/13), which are signaling elements downstream of TXA2‐R. Ectopic overexpression of pS2 cDNA and protein in MDCKts.src‐pS2 cells and human colorectal cancer cells HCT8/S11‐pS2 initiate distinct invasion signals that are Rho independent and COX and TXA2‐R dependent. We detected a marked induction of COX‐2 protein and accumulation of the stable PGH2/TXA2 metabolite TXB2 in the conditioned medium from cells transformed by src. This led to activation of the TXA2‐R‐dependent invasion pathway, which is monitored via a Rho‐ and Gα12/Gα13‐independent mechanism using the Gαq/PKC signaling cascade. These findings identify a new intracrine/paracrine loop that can be monitored by TFFs and src in inflammatory diseases and progression of colorectal cancers.—Rodrigues, S., Nguyen, Q.‐ D., Faivre, S., Bruyneel, E., Thim, L., Westley, B., May, F., Flatau, G., Mareel, M., Gespach, C., Emami, S. Activation of cellular invasion by trefoil peptides and src is mediated by cyclooxygenase‐ and thromboxane A2 receptor‐dependent signaling pathways. FASEB J. 15, 1517–1528 (2001)