Wnt4 inhibits cell motility induced by oncogenic Ras

Abstract

Aberrant motility and invasive ability are relevant hallmarks of malignant tumor cells. Pathways regulating the movement of cancer cells from the site of primary tumor toward adjacent and/or distant tissues are not entirely defined. By using a model of malignant transformation induced by Ras, we identified Wnt4 as an early target of Ras oncogenic signaling. Here we show that Wnt4 is repressed by Ras and that forced Wnt4 expression inhibits Ras-induced cell motility. Accordingly, we found that Wnt4 is downregulated in human anaplastic thyroid carcinomas, the most malignant and metastatic thyroid cancer histotype. Wnt4 interferes with Ras-induced actin cytoskeleton reorganization through non-canonical pathways, by altering the balance between the activation of different Rho-family small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases). Finally, we demonstrate that Wnt4 is post-transcriptionally repressed by miR-24, a Ras-induced micro RNA (miRNA) targeting the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of Wnt4. Taken together our data highlight a novel Ras-regulated miRNA-dependent circuitry regulating the motile phenotype of cancer cells.