Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a group of fatal malignancies characterized by high metastatic capacity, the underlying mechanisms of which remain largely elusive. We have found here that insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3) is highly expressed in TNBC and correlates clinically with distant metastasis-free survival of TNBC patients. IGF2BP3 promotes the migration and invasion capabilities of TNBC cells dependent upon cellular RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 binds to and destabilizes m6A-methylated mRNA of the extracellular matrix glycoprotein, SLIT2, impairs its downstream signaling via the cognate receptor ROBO1, and consequently triggers the activation of canonical PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways. The IGF2BP3/SLIT2 axis is critically involved in the regulation of TNBC metastasis in vivo. These findings shed light into the regulatory network of distant metastasis of breast cancer and provide rationale for targeting the m6A machinery in the treatment of TNBC.
Keywords: IGF2BP; N6-methyladenosine (m6A); RNA modification; SLIT2; breast cancer; metastasis.
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