IgSF11-RAP1 signaling promotes cell migration and invasion of cutaneous melanoma

Aberrant cell adhesion signaling is known to either accelerate or inhibit cancer progression, but the underlying molecular basis has yet to be established. The immunoglobulin superfamily 11 (IgSF11) functions as a cell adhesion protein and is overexpressed in several types of cancer, including high-grade glioma. However, it remains unknown whether and how IgSF11 stimulates malignant phenotypes.

Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we first examined the expression of IgSF11 gene in various types of cancer tissues. Next, we developed an anti-hIgSF11 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and evaluated the clinicopathological significance of high IgSF11 expression in 187 cutaneous melanoma patients via immunohistochemistry using this selective mAb. We also generated human melanoma cell lines A375 and 888mel expressing IgSF11, as well as 888mel:IgSF11^KO and 888mel:IgSF11^KO:IgSF11 cells, and compared their phenotypes with those of control cells both in vitro and in vivo. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry was applied to identify an IgSF11-interacting protein, followed by validation of its association with IgSF11 and of the specific IgSF11 region responsible for the complex formation and promoting melanoma cell migration.

IgSF11 mRNA was highly expressed in glioblastoma tissues and skin cutaneous melanoma tissues, but not in other malignant tumors. High IgSF11 expression was observed in 57 out of the 187 melanoma cases (30.5%) and was significantly correlated with Clark's level and high budding, both of which are parameters of melanoma invasion. Using a series of established cell lines, we demonstrated that IgSF11 promotes melanoma cell migration and invasion, as well as the enrichment of a gene set associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, we identified that IgSF11 forms a complex with RAS-associated protein 1 (RAP1). Furthermore, the L372-R378 region of IgSF11 was required for recruiting RAP1 and driving melanoma cell migration.

We found that IgSF11-RAP1 signaling facilitates the migration and invasion of melanoma cells. The identification of IgSF11-RAP1 machinery highlights a novel link between cell adhesion and signaling molecules in promoting the malignant phenotypes of melanoma and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for this malignancy.