5654

HTRA1

ARMD7|CARASIL|HtrA|L56|ORF480|PRSS11;HtrA serine peptidase 1;HTRA1;HtrA serine peptidase 1

IGFBP5-protease|high-temperature requirement A serine peptidase 1|protease, serine, 11 (IGF binding)|serine protease HTRA1

10q26.3

protein-coding

We report here that HtrA1, a candidate tumor suppressor, is downregulated in ovarian cancer. expression of HtrA1 is downregulated in five of seven ovarian cancer cell lines. In total, 59% of primary ovarian tumors have either a complete absence or markedly reduced levels of HtrA1 expression compared to the brushings of ovarian surface epithelium. Primary ovarian tumors show high frequencies of loss of an allele at microsatellite markers near htrA1 locus on 10q26. Downregulation of HtrA1 in SKOV3 by antisense transfection promotes anchorage-independent growth, while exogenous expression of HtrA1 in OV202 induces cell death. HtrA1-induced cell death is not inhibited by the broad caspase inhibitor, zVAD(OMe)fmk, but instead reflects serine protease activity associated with HtrA1. These observations raise the possibility of HtrA1 as a candidate tumor suppressor involved in promoting serine-protease-mediated cell death and that downregulation of HtrA1 in ovarian cancer may contribute to malignant phenotype.

OBJECTIVES: expression of human HtrA1, HtrA2, HtrA3 and TGF-beta1 genes was examined in ovarian tissue specimens including 19 normal ovaries, 20 benign tumors, 7 borderline tumors, 44 cancers and 8 Krukenberg tumors. DESIGN AND METHODS: mRNA and protein levels were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western-blotting methods, respectively. RESULTS: A statistically significant decrease of HtrA1 and HtrA3 expression in ovarian tumors comparing to normal tissues was observed. A dramatic decrease of HtrA3 mRNA and protein levels in all tumor tissue groups, and a loss of HtrA3 protein in 30% malignant tumors were found. A significant decrease of HtrA1 mRNA, and of HtrA3 mRNA and protein in malignant tumors compared to benign tumors was revealed. HtrA2 expression in tumor tissues was slightly decreased. expression of TGF-beta1 in tumor tissues was not significantly different compared to control tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show downregulation of HtrA1 and HtrA3 genes expression in different types of ovarian tumors and give additional evidence that these genes may function as tumor suppressors.

We have a long-standing interest in a nuclear protease which appears to be involved in carcinogenesis. We recently identified the protease as high temperature requirement factor A 1 (HtrA1), also known as Prss11, which is member of an oxidative stress-response family of proteases. HtrA1 has been classified as a secreted protease involved in TGFbeta signaling, but recent work has shown HtrA1 to be a tumor suppressor. Here we show that processed forms of HtrA1 are found intracellularly and intranuclearly, and the active intranuclear form of HtrA1 shows an approximately Mr 29,000. Further, expression of HPV E6/E7 proteins is associated with a post-transcriptional up-regulation of HtrA1 (most notably the nuclear form), and HtrA1 is found associated with both HPV E6 and E7 proteins.