Hepcidin is a circulating peptide hormone made by the liver that is a central regulator of systemic iron uptake and recycling. Here we report that prostate epithelial cells also synthesize hepcidin, and that synthesis and secretion of hepcidin are markedly increased in prostate cancer cells and tissue. Prostatic hepcidin functions as an autocrine hormone, decreasing cell surface ferroportin, an iron exporter, increasing intracellular iron retention, and promoting prostate cancer cell survival. Synthesis of hepcidin in prostate cancer is controlled by a unique intersection of pathways that involves BMP4/7, IL6, Wnt, and the dual BMP and Wnt antagonist, SOSTDC1. Epigenetic silencing of SOSTDC1 through methylation is increased in prostate cancer, and is associated with accelerated disease progression in prostate cancer patients. These results establish a new connection between iron metabolism and prostate cancer, and suggest that prostatic dysregulation of hepcidin contributes to prostate cancer growth and progression.

Residues 1-434 of the ubiquitin ligase Cbl control epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) signaling by enhancing receptor ubiquitination, downregulation, and lysosomal degradation. Cbl 1-434 comprises a tyrosine kinase-binding domain, linker region, RING finger (RF), and a subset of the RF tail amino acids 420-436. Using full-length alanine substitution mutants, we demonstrate that the Cbl RF tail regulates biochemically distinct EGF-R endocytosis checkpoints: 1) Cbl- and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of hSprouty2 upstream of EGF-R ubiquitination (compromised by Cbl V431A); and 2) Cbl- and EGF-R-dependent dephosphorylation or degradation of the endosomal trafficking regulator Hrs (compromised by Cbl F434A). Deregulated Hrs phosphorylation correlates with the inhibition of both early endosome fusion and EGF-R degradation. This is the first evidence that Cbl can regulate receptor fate by controlling the fusion of sorting endosomes. We postulate that it does so by modulating the generation and loss of tyrosine phosphorylated Hrs.

Sclerostin domain containing 1 (SOSTDC1) protein regulates processes from development to cancer by modulating activity of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and wingless/int (Wnt) signaling pathways. As dysregulation of both BMP and Wnt signaling has been observed in breast cancer, we investigated whether disruption of SOSTDC1 signaling occurs in breast cancer. SOSTDC1 mRNA expression levels in breast tissue were examined using a dot blot. Affymetrix microarray data on SOSTDC1 levels were correlated with breast cancer patient survival using Kaplan–Meier plots. Correlations between SOSTDC1 protein levels and clinical parameters were assessed by immunohistochemistry of a breast cancer tissue microarray. SOSTDC1 secretion and BMP and Wnt signaling were investigated using immunoblotting. We found that SOSTDC1 is expressed in normal breast tissue and this expression is reduced in breast cancer. High levels of SOSTDC1 mRNA correlated with increased patient survival; conversely, SOSTDC1 protein levels decreased as tumor size and disease stage increased. Treatment of breast cancer cells with recombinant SOSTDC1 or Wise, a SOSTDC1 orthologue, demonstrated that SOSTDC1 selectively blocks BMP-7-induced Smad phosphorylation without diminishing BMP-2 or Wnt3a-induced signaling. In conclusion, SOSTDC1 mRNA and protein are reduced in breast cancer. High SOSTDC1 mRNA levels correlate with increased distant metastasis-free survival in breast cancer patients. SOSTDC1 differentially affects Wnt3a, BMP-2, and BMP-7 signaling in breast cancer cells. These results identify SOSTDC1 as a clinically important extracellular regulator of multiple signaling pathways in breast cancer.

BackgroundDeletions within the short arm of chromosome 7 are observed in approximately 25% of adult and 10% of Wilms pediatric renal tumors. Within Wilms tumors, the region of interest has been delineated to a 2-Mb minimal region that includes ten known genes. Two of these ten candidate genes, SOSTDC1 and MEOX2, are particularly relevant to tumor development and maintenance. This finding, coupled with evidence that SOSTDC1 is frequently downregulated in adult renal cancer and regulates both Wingless-Int (Wnt)- and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-induced signaling, points to a role for SOSTDC1 as a potential tumor suppressor.MethodsTo investigate this hypothesis, we interrogated the Oncomine database to examine the SOSTDC1 levels in adult renal clear cell tumors and pediatric Wilms tumors. We then performed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and sequencing analyses of SOSTDC1 in 25 pediatric and 36 adult renal tumors. Immunohistochemical staining of patient samples was utilized to examine the impact of SOSTDC1 genetic aberrations on SOSTDC1 protein levels and signaling.ResultsWithin the Oncomine database, we found that SOSTDC1 levels were reduced in adult renal clear cell tumors and pediatric Wilms tumors. Through SNP and sequencing analyses of 25 Wilms tumors, we identified four with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 7p and three that affected SOSTDC1. Of 36 adult renal cancers, we found five with LOH at 7p, two of which affected SOSTDC1. Immunohistochemical analysis of SOSTDC1 protein levels within these tumors did not reveal a relationship between these instances of SOSTDC1 LOH and SOSTDC1 protein levels. Moreover, we could not discern any impact of these genetic alterations on Wnt signaling as measured by altered beta-catenin levels or localization.ConclusionsThis study shows that genetic aberrations near SOSTDC1 are not uncommon in renal cancer, and occur in adult as well as pediatric renal tumors. These observations of SOSTDC1 LOH, however, did not correspond with changes in SOSTDC1 protein levels or signaling regulation. Although our conclusions are limited by sample size, we suggest that an alternative mechanism such as epigenetic silencing of SOSTDC1 may be a key contributor to the reduced SOSTDC1 mRNA and protein levels observed in renal cancer.

<p>Supplemental Figures S1-S7. Hepcidin transcript levels in prostate cells under basal conditions and in response to modulation by signaling effectors (S1); Immunohistochemical detection of hepcidin in prostate tissue (S2); Clonegenic survival of DU145 cells treated with DFO (S3); BMPs induce SMAD signaling in prostate cancer cells (S4); Effect of BMP6 and BMP7 on hepcidin in PC3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells (S5); Effect of Wnt pathway agonists or antagonists in DU145 cells (S6); Immunohistochemical detection of SOSTDC1 in prostate tissue (S7).</p>