Crossreactivity of alpha9beta1 integrin with p75NTR in modulation of proinvasive activities of glioma cells

Abstract

Gliomas are the most common and difficult to treat tumors of the central nervous system. Current treatments often fail to slow progression of disease due to the high invasive nature of glioma leading to a high percentage of recurrence. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the levels of alpha; 9 beta; 1 integrin found on high grade glioma were significantly increased in comparison to normal brain tissue where the levels were negligible. We also found that interaction between alpha; 9 beta; 1 integrin and nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a major role in progression of experimental tumor. Another receptor for NGF the common neurotrophin receptor p75NTR is also overexpressed in high grade glioma. p75NTR forms a high affinity complex with the specific NGF receptor, TrkA leading to an increase in cell proliferation and survival. In the absence of an association, p75NTR is involved in transferring pro-apoptotic signals through the JNK pathway. We have found that the α 9 integrin subunit of α 9 β 1 forms a stable, cation independent complex with p75NTR on the cell membrane of glioma both in vitro using glioma derived immortalized cells lines and in vivo using glioma tissue. The co-expression of p75NTR with α 9 β 1 integrin led to optimization of integrin-dependent cellular activities such as cell survival, proliferation, and migration. Co-expression of p75NTR was also required for implanted glioma cells to migrate in a glioma-like perivascular manner away from the site of implantation as was seen in the in vivo quail chorioallantoic membrane assay.