Irradiation induces DJ-1 secretion from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells to accelerate metastasis of bystander cells via a TGF-β1 positive feedback loop

  • J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2022 Aug 26;41(1):259. doi: 10.1186/s13046-022-02471-6.
Junjie Gu   #  1  2 ,  Yuanyuan Sun   #  1  2 ,  Jiahang Song   #  1  2 ,  Ruiling Zhao   #  1  3 ,  Xiaoke Di  2 ,  Yumeng Zhang  1  2 ,  Xiaolin Ge  2 ,  Shu Zhang  4 ,  Yun Gu  5 ,  Xinchen Sun  6
Affiliations
  • 1. The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
  • 2. Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No.300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
  • 3. Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
  • 4. Core Facility Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
  • 5. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lian Shui People's Hospital, Huai'an, 223400, China. [email protected].
  • 6. Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No.300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China. [email protected].
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 36008860 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02471-6
Abstract

Background: Radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE) can promote tumor metastasis contributing to the failure of radiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Aberrant expression of DJ-1 has been identified in ESCC; however, the relationship between DJ-1 and RIBE in ESCC remains unknown.

Methods: We detected DJ-1 in the serum and cell supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and evaluated tumor metastasis by phenotypic experiments in vivo and in vitro. RNA-seq, mass spectrometry, western blot (WB), immunoprecipitation (IP), and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Results: DJ-1 was highly expressed in the serum of patients with ESCC receiving radiotherapy and was significantly overexpressed in the medium of ESCC cells receiving irradiation. DJ-1 promoted tumor metastasis via the TGF-β1 pathway. Mechanistic studies revealed that DJ-1 bound to HSC70 to promote SMAD3 phosphorylation and nuclear aggregation in a protein-interaction manner, which activated the transcription of Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1). Subsequently, the activation of TGF-β1 by TSP1 re-promoted SMAD3 phosphorylation and nuclear aggregation, constituting a positive feedback loop to strengthen the metastasis of ESCC cells, which was effectively blocked by LY2109761 and LSKL. Moreover, higher levels of serum DJ-1 in patients with ESCC were related to a poorer prognosis of radiotherapy.

Conclusions: Irradiation can induce ESCC cells secreting DJ-1. Secreted DJ-1 enters bystander cells to initiate activation of the TGF-β1 pathway via the DJ-1/HSC70/SMAD3 signaling axis. The TSP1/TGF-β1/SMAD3 positive feedback pathway constitutes the core pathway that promotes ESCC metastasis. DJ-1 is a useful biomarker for predicting the efficacy of radiotherapy and a potential therapeutic target for reversing RIBE in ESCC. Schematic diagram showing the underlying mechanism that irradiation-induced secretion of DJ-1 accelerates the metastasis of bystander ESCC cells.

Keywords
DJ-1; Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; HSC70; Radiation-induced bystander effect; Smad3; TGF-β1; TSP1; Tumor metastasis.
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