Nuclear versus Cytoplasmic Localization of Filamin A in Prostate Cancer: Immunohistochemical Correlation with Metastases

Purpose: We previously showed that nuclear localization of the actin-binding protein, filamin A (FInA), corresponded to hormone-dependence in prostate cancer. Intact FInA (280 kDa, cytoplasmic) cleaved to a 90 kDa fragment which translocated to the nucleus in hormone-naive cells, whereas in hormone-refractory cells, FInA was phosphorylated, preventing its cleavage and nuclear translocation. We have examined whether FInA localization determines a propensity to metastasis in advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer. Experimental Design: We examined, by immunohistochemistry, FInA localization in paraffin-embedded human prostate tissue representing different stages of progression. Results were correlated with in vitro studies in a cell model of prostate cancer. Results: Nuclear FInA was significantly higher in benign prostate (0.6612 +/- 0.5888), prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN; 0.6024 +/- 0.4620), and clinically localized cancers (0.69134 +/- 0.5686) compared with metastatic prostate cancers (0.3719 +/- 0.4992, P = 0.0007). Cytoplasmic FInA increased from benign prostate (0.0833 +/- 0.2677), PIN (0.1409 +/- 0.2293), localized cancers (0.3008 +/- 0.3762, P = 0.0150), to metastases (0.7632 +/- 0.4414, P < 0.00001). Logistic regression of metastatic versus nonmetastatic tissue yielded the area under the receiver operating curve as 0.67 for nuclear-FInA, 0.79 for cytoplasmic-FInA, and 0.82 for both, indicating that metastasis correlates with cytoplasmic to nuclear translocation. In vitro studies showed that cytoplasmic localization of FInA induced cell invasion whereas nuclear translocation of the protein inhibited it. FInA dephosphorylation with the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89 facilitated FInA nuclear translocation, resulting in decreased invasiveness and AR transcriptional activity, and induced sensitivity to androgen withdrawal in hormone-refractory cells. Conclusions: The data presented in this study indicate that in prostate cancer, metastasis correlates with cytoplasmic localization of FInA and may be prevented by cleavage and subsequent nuclear translocation of this protein.