The RON and MET oncogenes are co-expressed in human ovarian carcinomas and cooperate in activating invasiveness

• Published in: Experimental cell research 2003-08, Vol.288 (2), p.382-389
• Main Authors: Maggiora, Piera, Lorenzato, Annalisa, Fracchioli, Stefano, Costa, Barbara, Castagnaro, Massimo, Arisio, Riccardo, Katsaros, Dionyssios, Massobrio, Marco, Comoglio, Paolo M, Flavia Di Renzo, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Female; Hepatocyte growth factor; Hepatocyte Growth Factor - metabolism; Hepatocyte growth factor receptor; Human ovary; Humans; Ligands; Macrophage stimulating protein; MET oncogene; Middle Aged; Oncogenes; Ovarian neoplasm; Ovarian Neoplasms - metabolism; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met - metabolism; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; Receptor tyrosine kinase; RON gene; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0014-4827; 1090-2422
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-4827(03)00250-7

RON is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase gene family that includes the MET oncogene, whose germline mutations have been causally related to human tumorigenesis. In vitro, RON and MET receptors cross-talk, synergize in intracellular signaling, and cooperate in inducing morphogenic responses. Here we show that the RON and MET oncogenes were expressed in 55% and 56% of human ovarian carcinomas, respectively, and were significantly coexpressed in 42% ( P < 0.001). In ovarian carcinoma samples and cell lines we did not find mutations in RON and MET gene kinase domain, nor coexpression of RON and MET receptor ligands (MSP and HGF, respectively). We show that motility and invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells coexpressing MET and RON receptors were elicited by HGF and, to a lesser extent, by MSP. More interestingly, invasion of both reconstituted basement membrane and collagen gel was greatly enhanced by the simultaneous addition of the two ligands. These data suggest that coexpression of the MET and RON receptors confer a selective advantage to ovarian cancer cells and might promote ovarian cancer progression.