GPR81 nuclear transportation is critical for cancer growth and progression in lung and other solid cancers

The Warburg effect is common in cancers. Lactate and its receptor GPR81 play an important role in cancer progression. It is widely accepted that membrane receptor nuclear translocation plays some novel role in cancer pathology. The mechanism by which the lactate/GPR81 axis regulates cancer malignancy remains unclear.

To elucidate the mechanism of GPR81 nuclear transportation promoted by exogenous lactate.

Lung cancer cells were stimulated with exogenous lactate and GPR81 levels were measured by immunofluoresence and western blot analysis in membrane, cytoplasmic, and nuclear fractions. Lung cancer cells were transduced with a mutant GPR81 nuclear localization signal (NLS) construct, wild type GPR81 or empty vector and used to examine how GPR81 nuclear transportation affects lung cancer cells malignancy in vitro and in vivo. Immunoprecipitation Proteomics analysis and Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing were used to determine GPR81 interacting proteins and genes.

In response to hypoxia/Lactate stimulation, GPR81 translocates and accumulates in the nucleus of lung cancer cells. Functionally, GPR81 nuclear translocation promotes cancer cell proliferation and motility. Depletion of the GPR81 NLS depletes GPR81 nuclear levels and decreases cancer cell growth and invasion in vitro, as well as cancer cell malignancy in vivo. Proteomics analysis revealed a set of proteins including SFPQ, that interact with GPR81 in the cancer cell nucleus. Notably, the interaction of GPR81 with SFPQ promotes cancer cell growth and motility. ChIP sequencing analysis discovered that there is a set of genes targeted by GPR81.

The interaction of GPR81 with SFPQ promotes cancer cell malignancy. GPR81 nuclear translocation is critical in conferring cancer progression and may be a potential therapeutic target for limiting cancer progression.