Here, we report that neuropilin (NRP)-2, the high-affinity receptor for SEMA3F and a coreceptor for certain growth factors, is upregulated during TGF-β1-driven EMT in lung cancer cells.
Previously, we demonstrated that loss of SEMA3F, a secreted semaphorin encoded in 3p21.3, is associated with higher stages in lung cancer and primary tumor cells studied with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and SEMA3F antibodies.
Precise mapping of 15 independent HDs in the LUCA region allowed us to establish the smallest HD region in 3p21.3C located between D3S1568 (CACNA2D2 gene) and D3S4604 (SEMA3F gene).This region contains 17 genes.
Elevated VEGF levels are associated with the loss and cytoplasmic delocalization of SEMA3F in lung cancer, suggesting competition for their NP1 and NP2 receptors.
The smallest region homozygously deleted in 3p21.3C was located between D3S1568 (CACNA2D2 gene) and D3S4604 (SEMA3F gene) and contains 17 genes previously defined as lung cancer candidate Tumor suppressor genes (TSG(s)).
By contrast, only 30-40% reduction in colony formation was seen after the transfection of SEMA3F or SEMA3B variants carrying lung cancer-associated single amino acid missense mutations.