Dynamics of Internalization and Recycling of the Pro-Metastatic Membrane Type 4-Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT4-MMP) in Breast Cancer Cells

MT4-MMP (MMP17) is a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored membrane-type MMP expressed on the cell surface of human breast cancer cells. In triple negative breast cancer cells, MT4-MMP promotes primary tumor growth and lung metastases. Although trafficking and internalization of the transmembrane MT1-MMP have been extensively investigated, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of the GPI-anchored MT4-MMP. Here, we investigated the fate and cellular trafficking of MT4-MMP by analyzing its homophilic complex interactions, internalization and recycling dynamics compared to an inert form, MT4-MMP-E249A. Oligomeric and dimeric complexes were analyzed by co-transfection of cells with FLAG- or Myc-tagged MT4-MMP by reducing and non-reducing immunoblots and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. The trafficking of MT4-MMP was studied using an antibody feeding assay and confocal microscopy analysis or cell surface protein biotinylation and Western blot analysis. We demonstrate that MT4-MMP forms homophilic complexes at the cell surface, internalizes in early endosomes, and some of the enzyme is either auto-degraded or recycled to the cell surface. Our data indicate that MT4-MMP is internalized by the CLIC/GEEC pathway, a mechanism that differs from other MT-MMP members. Although MT4-MMP localizes with caveolin-1, MT4-MMP internalization was not affected by inhibitors of caveolin-1 or clathrin endocytosis pathways but was reduced by cdc42 or RhoA silencing with siRNA. We provide a new mechanistic insight into the regulatory mechanisms of MT4-MMP, which may have implications in the design of novel therapeutic strategies for metastatic breast cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.