eLife (Apr 2020)

ERK3/MAPK6 controls IL-8 production and chemotaxis

  • Katarzyna Bogucka,
  • Malvika Pompaiah,
  • Federico Marini,
  • Harald Binder,
  • Gregory Harms,
  • Manuel Kaulich,
  • Matthias Klein,
  • Christian Michel,
  • Markus P Radsak,
  • Sebastian Rosigkeit,
  • Peter Grimminger,
  • Hansjörg Schild,
  • Krishnaraj Rajalingam

DOI
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.52511
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

Read online

ERK3 is a ubiquitously expressed member of the atypical mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the physiological significance of its short half-life remains unclear. By employing gastrointestinal 3D organoids, we detect that ERK3 protein levels steadily decrease during epithelial differentiation. ERK3 is not required for 3D growth of human gastric epithelium. However, ERK3 is stabilized and activated in tumorigenic cells, but deteriorates over time in primary cells in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). ERK3 is necessary for production of several cellular factors including interleukin-8 (IL-8), in both, normal and tumorigenic cells. Particularly, ERK3 is critical for AP-1 signaling through its interaction and regulation of c-Jun protein. The secretome of ERK3-deficient cells is defective in chemotaxis of neutrophils and monocytes both in vitro and in vivo. Further, knockdown of ERK3 reduces metastatic potential of invasive breast cancer cells. We unveil an ERK3-mediated regulation of IL-8 and epithelial secretome for chemotaxis.

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