Enzyme Found that Enables Cancer Cell Mobility

Researchers seeking to understand how cancer cells metastasize and travel through the body have identified an enzyme, phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase isoform (PIPKIy661), that appears to be required for the formation of points of focal adhesion, which are specialized clusters of proteins on the cell surface that enable the cells to migrate. Their findings were reported in the November 7, 2002, issue of Nature.

"What we have identified is an enzyme that regulates the assembly of focal adhesions,” explained senior author Dr. Richard Anderson, professor of pharmacology at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, USA; www.wisc.edu). "Researchers have been looking for this enzyme for years.”

PIPKIy661 was found to interact directly with two key proteins (FAK and talin) involved in focal adhesion assembly. At the same time, PIPKIy661 also generated an important second messenger (P14,5P2) that regulated a number of proteins inside the cell and stimulated their ability to form focal adhesions.

Inhibition of PIPKIy661 activity would prevent focal adhesion assembly, and cancer cells would be rendered immobile, thereby unable to migrate to other parts of the body. "Exactly how cancer cells metastasize has been poorly understood,” said Dr. Anderson. "This discovery is a real breakthrough that could really have an impact.”



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