Oncogenic S1P signalling in EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma activates AKT and promotes cell migration through S1P receptor 3

Hui Min Lee, Kwok Wai Lo, Wenbin Wei, Sai Wah Tsao, Grace Tin Yun Chung, Maha Hafez Ibrahim, Christopher W. Dawson, Paul G. Murray, Ian C. Paterson, Lee Fah Yap

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a cancer with high metastatic potential that is consistently associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. In this study, we have investigated the functional contribution of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signalling to the pathogenesis of NPC. We show that EBV infection or ectopic expression of the EBV-encoded latent genes (EBNA1, LMP1, and LMP2A) can up-regulate sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1), the key enzyme that produces S1P, in NPC cell lines. Exogenous addition of S1P promotes the migration of NPC cells through the activation of AKT; shRNA knockdown of SPHK1 resulted in a reduction in the levels of activated AKT and inhibition of cell migration. We also show that S1P receptor 3 (S1PR3) mRNA is overexpressed in EBV-positive NPC patient-derived xenografts and a subset of primary NPC tissues, and that knockdown of S1PR3 suppressed the activation of AKT and the S1P-induced migration of NPC cells. Taken together, our data point to a central role for EBV in mediating the oncogenic effects of S1P in NPC and identify S1P signalling as a potential therapeutic target in this disease.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)62-72
Number of pages11
JournalThe Journal of Pathology
Volume242
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Epstein–Barr virus
  • nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  • S1P receptor
  • sphingosine-1-phosphate

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