ZIC5 Drives Melanoma Aggressiveness by PDGFD-Mediated Activation of FAK and STAT3

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 77; no. 2; pp. 366 - 377
• Main Authors: Satow, Reiko, Nakamura, Tomomi, Kato, Chiaki, Endo, Miku, Tamura, Mana, Batori, Ryosuke, Tomura, Shiori, Murayama, Yumi, Fukami, Kiyoko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for Cancer Research, Inc 15.01.2017
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Blotting, Western; Cancer; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell proliferation; Cell survival; Disease resistance; DNA microarrays; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - physiology; E-cadherin; Feedback loops; Focal adhesion kinase; Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - physiology; Genetic screening; Humans; Inhibition; Lymphokines - metabolism; Melanocytes; Melanoma; Melanoma - metabolism; Melanoma - pathology; Metastases; Neural crest; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor - metabolism; Positive feedback; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Signal Transduction - physiology; siRNA; Stat3 protein; STAT3 Transcription Factor - metabolism; Transcription; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445
• DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-0991

Insights into mechanisms of drug resistance could extend the efficacy of cancer therapy. To probe mechanisms in melanoma, we performed siRNA screening of genes that mediate the development of neural crest cells, from which melanocytes are derived. Here, we report the identification of ZIC5 as a mediator of melanoma drug resistance. ZIC5 is a transcriptional suppressor of E-cadherin expressed highly in human melanoma. ZIC5 enhanced melanoma cell proliferation, survival, drug resistance, in vivo growth and metastasis. Microarray analysis revealed that ZIC5 downstream signaling included PDGFD and FAK activation, which contributes to drug resistance by enhancing STAT3 activation. Silencing of ZIC5 or PDGFD enhanced the apoptotic effects of BRAF inhibition and blocked survival of melanoma cells resistant to BRAF inhibitors. Furthermore, inhibition of FAK or STAT3 suppressed expression of ZIC5, which was positively regulated by PDGFD, FAK, and STAT3 in a positive feedback loop. Taken together, our results identify ZIC5 and PDGFD as candidate therapeutic targets to overcome drug resistance in melanoma. Cancer Res; 77(2); 366-77. ©2016 AACR.