A Dominant-Negative Mutant of ANXA7 Impairs Calcium Signaling and Enhances the Proliferation of Prostate Cancer Cells by Downregulating the IP3 Receptor and the PI3K/mTOR Pathway

Annexin A7/ANXA7 is a calcium-dependent membrane fusion protein with tumor suppressor gene (TSG) properties, which is located on chromosome 10q21 and is thought to function in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and tumorigenesis. However, whether the molecular mechanisms for tumor suppression are also involved in the calcium- and phospholipid-binding properties of ANXA7 remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that the 4 C-terminal endonexin-fold repeats in ANXA7 (GX(X)GT), which are contained within each of the 4 annexin repeats with 70 amino acids, are responsible for both calcium- and GTP-dependent membrane fusion and the tumor suppressor function. Here, we identified a dominant-negative triple mutant (DNTM/DN-ANXA7J) that dramatically suppressed the ability of ANXA7 to fuse with artificial membranes while also inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and sensitizing cells to cell death. We also found that the [DNTM]ANA7 mutation altered the membrane fusion rate and the ability to bind calcium and phospholipids. In addition, in prostate cancer cells, our data revealed that variations in phosphatidylserine exposure, membrane permeabilization, and cellular apoptosis were associated with differential IP3 receptor expression and PI3K/AKT/mTOR modulation. In conclusion, we discovered a triple mutant of ANXA7, associated with calcium and phospholipid binding, which leads to the loss of several essential functions of ANXA7 pertinent to tumor protection and highlights the importance of the calcium signaling and membrane fusion functions of ANXA7 for preventing tumorigenesis.