Expression of receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM), a breast cancer susceptibility gene, is tightly controlled in normal tissues but elevated in many tumors, contributing to tumorigenesis and metastases. However, how the expression of RHAMM is regulated remains elusive. Statins, inhibitors of mevalonate metabolic pathway widely used for hypercholesterolemia, have been found to also have antitumor effects, but little is known of the specific targets and mechanisms. Moreover, Hippo signaling pathway plays crucial roles in organ size control and cancer development, yet its downstream transcriptional targets remain obscure. Here we show that RHAMM expression is regulated by mevalonate and Hippo pathways converging onto Yes-associated protein (YAP)/TEAD, which binds RHAMM promoter at specific sites and controls its transcription and consequently breast cancer cell migration and invasion (BCCMI); and that simvastatin inhibits BCCMI via targeting YAP-mediated RHAMM transcription. Required for ERK phosphorylation and BCCMI, YAP-activated RHAMM transcription is dependent on mevalonate and sensitive to simvastatin, which modulate RHAMM transcription by modulating YAP phosphorylation and nuclear-cytoplasmic localization. Further, modulation by mevalonate/simvastatin of YAP-activated RHAMM transcription requires geranylgeranylation, Rho GTPase activation, and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement, but is largely independent of MST and LATS kinase activity. These findings from in vitro and in vivo investigations link mevalonate and Hippo pathways with RHAMM as a downstream effector, a YAP-transcription and simvastatin-inhibition target, and a cancer metastasis mediator; uncover a mechanism regulating RHAMM expression and cancer metastases; and reveal a mode whereby simvastatin exerts anticancer effects; providing potential targets for cancer therapeutic agents.

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Exposure of neurons to high concentrations of excitatory neurotransmitters causes them to undergo excitotoxic death via multiple synergistic injury mechanisms. One of these mechanisms involves actions undertaken locally by microglia, the CNS-resident macrophages. Mice deficient in the serine protease plasmin exhibit decreased microglial migration to the site of excitatory neurotransmitter release and are resistant to excitotoxic neurodegeneration. Microglial chemotaxis can be signaled by the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)/CCL2 (CC chemokine ligand 2). We show here that mice genetically deficient for MCP-1 phenocopy plasminogen deficiency by displaying decreased microglial recruitment and resisting excitotoxic neurodegeneration. Connecting these pathways, we demonstrate that MCP-1 undergoes a proteolytic processing step mediated by plasmin. The processing, which consists of removal of the C terminus of MCP-1, enhances the potency of MCP-1 in in vitro migration assays. Finally, we show that infusion of the cleaved form of MCP-1 into the CNS restores microglial recruitment and excitotoxicity in plasminogen-deficient mice. These findings identify MCP-1 as a key downstream effectorintheexcitotoxicpathwaytriggeredbyplasminandidentifyplasminasanextracellularchemokineactivator.Finally,ourresultsprovide a mechanism that explains the resistance of plasminogen-deficient mice to excitotoxicity.

Invasion and metastasis are the main causes of treatment failure and death in breast cancer. Thus, novel invasion-based therapies such as those involving natural agents are urgently required. In this study, we examined the effects of magnolol (Mag), a compound extracted from medicinal herbs, on breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Highly invasive cancer cells were found to be highly sensitive to treatment. Mag markedly inhibited the activity of highly invasive MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, Mag significantly downregulated matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression, an enzyme critical to tumor invasion. Mag also inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcriptional activity and the DNA binding of NF-κB to MMP-9 promoter. These results indicate that Mag suppresses tumor invasion by inhibiting MMP-9 through the NF-κB pathway. Moreover, Mag overcame the promoting effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) on the invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Our findings reveal the therapeutic potential and mechanism of Mag against cancer.