22925

PLA2R1

CLEC13C|PLA2-R|PLA2G1R|PLA2IR|PLA2R;phospholipase A2 receptor 1, 180kDa;PLA2R1;phospholipase A2 receptor 1, 180kDa

180 kDa secretory phospholipase A2 receptor|C-type lectin domain family 13 member C|M-type receptor|phospholipase A2 receptor 1, 180kD|secretory phospholipase A2 receptor

2q23-q24

protein-coding

The phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R1 or PLA2R) was isolated twenty years ago for its ability to bind several secretory phospholipase A2 proteins (sPLA2). Since its identification, it has attracted only a limited interest, mainly in the sPLA2 biology field, as it is viewed uniquely as a regulator of sPLA2 activities. Recent discoveries outline novel important functions of this gene in cancer biology. Indeed, PLA2R1 gain or loss of function experiments in vitro and in vivo shows that this receptor promotes several tumor suppressive responses including senescence, apoptosis and inhibition of transformation. Supporting a tumor suppressive role of PLA2R1, its expression decreases in numerous cancers, and known oncogenes such as HIF2alpha and c-MYC repress its expression. PLA2R1 promoter methylation, a classical way to repress tumor suppressive gene expression in cancer cells, is observed in leukemia, in kidney and in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, PLA2R1 activates the kinase JAK2 and orients its activity towards a tumor suppressive one. PLA2R1 also promotes accumulation of reactive oxygen species which induce cell death and senescence. This review compiles recent data demonstrating an unexpected tumor suppressive role of PLA2R1 and outlines the future work needed to improve our knowledge of the functions of this gene in cancer.

PLA2R1 is a large transmembrane receptor of 180-kDa that belongs to the superfamily of C-type lectins. It was discovered because of its high affinity for secreted phospholipases A2 (sPLA2), enzymes that play a key role in lipid mediator synthesis. Early PLA2R1 physiological roles include the clearance of sPLA2 from the extracellular medium and/or promotion of their actions. Over the last four years, two independent studies suggested that PLA2R1 plays a role in cancer as a tumor gene suppressor and is the major target antigen of auto-immune antibodies involved in idiopathic membranous nephropathy, a severe human kidney disease. These novel findings shed light on PLA2R1 and pave the way for its use as a reliable biomarker and an attractive therapeutic target in these diseases.