Impaired Glycosylation of Gastric Mucins Drives Gastric Tumorigenesis and Serves as a Novel Therapeutic Target

Abstract

Background & aims: Gastric cancer is often accompanied by a loss of mucin 6 (MUC6), but its pathogenic role in gastric carcinogenesis remains unclear.

Methods: Muc6 knockout (Muc6^-/-) mice and Muc6-dsRED mice were newly generated. Tff1Cre, Golph3^-/-, R26-Golgi-mCherry, Hes1^flox/flox, Cosmc^flox/flox, and A4gnt^-/- mice were also used. Histology, DNA and RNA, proteins, and sugar chains were analyzed by whole-exon DNA sequence, RNA sequence, immunohistochemistry, lectin-binding assays, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Gastric organoids and cell lines were used for in vitro assays and xenograft experiments.

Results: Deletion of Muc6 in mice spontaneously causes pan-gastritis and invasive gastric cancers. Muc6-deficient tumor growth was dependent on mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, mediated by Golgi stress-induced up-regulation of Golgi phosphoprotein 3. Glycomic profiling revealed aberrant expression of mannose-rich N-linked glycans in gastric tumors, detected with banana lectin in association with lack of MUC6 expression. We identified a precursor of clusterin as a binding partner of mannose glycans. Mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, Golgi stress responses, and aberrant mannose expression are found in separate Cosmc- and A4gnt-deficient mouse models that lack normal O-glycosylation. Banana lectin-drug conjugates proved an effective treatment for mannose-rich murine and human gastric cancer.

Conclusions: We propose that Golgi stress responses and aberrant glycans are important drivers of and promising new therapeutic targets for gastric cancer.

Keywords: GOLPH3; Gastric Cancer; Golgi Stress; MAPK Pathway; Muc6.