The chemokine receptor CXCR7 is highly expressed in human glioma cells and mediates antiapoptotic effects

The chemokine CXCL12/stromal cell-derived factor-1 and its receptor CXCR4 play a major role in tumor invasion, proliferation, and metastasis. Recently, CXCR7 was identified as a novel, alternate receptor for CXCL12 and CXCL11/I-TAC. Because both chemokines are expressed abundantly in human astrocytomas and glioblastomas, we investigated the occurrence and function of both receptors in astroglial tumors. In situ, CXCR7 is highly expressed on tumor endothelial, microglial, and glioma cells whereas CXCR4 has a much more restricted localization; CXCL12 is often colocalized with CXCR7. CXCR7 transcription in tumor homogenates increased with malignancy. In vitro, CXCR7 was highly expressed in all glioma cell lines investigated whereas CXCR4 was only scarcely transcribed on one of eight lines. In contrast, a tumor stem-like cell line preferentially expressed CXCR4 which diminished upon differentiation, whereas CXCR7 increased drastically. Stimulation of CXCR7-positive glioma cells (CXCR4- and CXCR3-negative) by CXCL12 induced transient phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1/2, indicating that the receptor is functionally active. The phosphoinositide-specific Phospholipase C inhibitor U73122 effectively inhibited ERK activation and suggests that the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is activated indirectly. Whereas proliferation and migration were little influenced, chemokine stimulation prevented camptothecin- and temozolomide-induced Apoptosis. The selective CXCR7 Antagonist CCX733 reduced the antiapoptotic effects of CXCL12 as shown by nuclear (Nicoletti) staining, Caspase-3/7 activity assays, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1. Thus, CXCR7 is a functional receptor for CXCL12 in astrocytomas/glioblastomas and mediates resistance to drug-induced Apoptosis. Whereas CXCR7 is found on "differentiated" glioma cells, the alternate receptor CXCR4 is also localized on glioma stem-like cells.