RasOncogene-Mediated Progressive Silencing of Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase in Tumorigenesis

Abstract

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) is a secreted enzyme that uses superoxide anion as a substrate in a dismutase reaction that results in the formation of hydrogen peroxide. Both of these reactive oxygen species affect growth signaling in cells. Although SOD3 has growth-supporting characteristics, the expression ofSOD3is downregulated in epithelial cancer cells. In the current work, we studied the mechanisms regulatingSOD3expressionin vitrousing thyroid cell models representing different stages of thyroid cancer. We demonstrate that a low level of RAS activation increasesSOD3mRNA synthesis that then gradually decreases with increasing levels of RAS activation and the decreasing degree of differentiation of the cancer cells. Our data indicate thatSOD3regulation can be divided into two classes. The first class involves RAS–driven reversible regulation ofSOD3expression that can be mediated by the following mechanisms: RAS GTPase regulatory genes that are responsible forSOD3self-regulation; RAS-stimulated p38 MAPK activation; and RAS-activated increased expression of themir21microRNA, which inversely correlates withsod3mRNA expression. The second class involves permanent silencing ofSOD3mediated by epigenetic DNA methylation in cells that represent more advanced cancers. Therefore, the work suggests thatSOD3belongs to the group ofrasoncogene-silenced genes.