Exosomal ITGA3 interferes with non-cancerous prostate cell functions and is increased in urine exosomes of metastatic prostate cancer patients

Abstract

Background

Cancer cells are able to change the protein expression and behavior of non-cancerous surrounding cells. Exosomes, secreted by prostate cancer (PCa) cells, may have a functional role in cancer metastasis and present a promising source for protein biomarkers. The aim of the present study was to identify which proteins in exosomes can influence non-cancerous cells, and to determine whether we can use urine exosomal proteins to identify high-risk PCa patients.

Method

Exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Migration and invasion were studied by the transwell (invasion) assay. Proteomics was performed by LC-MS/MS and identified proteins were validated by Western blotting. Cellular uptake of fluorescent labeled PKH67-exosomes was measured by FACS.

Results

Based on comparative protein profiling by mass spectrometry-based proteomics of LNCaP- and PC3-exosomes, we selected ITGA3 and ITGB1, involved in migration/invasion, for further analyses. Inhibition of exosomal ITGA3 reduced the migration and invasion of non-cancerous prostate epithelial cells (prEC) almost completely. Cellular uptake of exosomes by prEC was higher with PC3-exosomes compared to LNCaP exosomes. Finally, ITGA3 and ITGB1 were more abundant in urine exosomes of metastatic patients (p<0.05), compared to benign prostate hyperplasia or PCa.

Conclusion

These data indicate exosomal ITGA3 and ITGB1 may play a role in manipulating non-cancerous surrounding cells and that measurement of ITGA3 and ITGB1 in urine exosomes has the potential to identify patients with metastatic PCa in a non-invasive manner.

• prostate cancer
• integrin
• biomarker
• proteomics
• non-cancerous cells

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To access the supplementary material to this article, please see Supplementary files under Article Tools online.

Notes

To access the supplementary material to this article, please see Supplementary files under Article Tools online.