Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive adult brain tumour with poor prognosis. Roles for peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) in GBM have recently been highlighted. Here, two GBM cell lines were treated with PAD2, PAD3 and PAD4 isozyme-specific inhibitors. Effects were assessed on extracellular vesicle (EV) signatures, including EV-microRNA cargo (miR21, miR126 and miR210), and on changes in cellular protein expression relevant for mitochondrial housekeeping (prohibitin (PHB)) and cancer progression (stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM-1) and moesin), as well as assessing cell invasion. Overall, GBM cell-line specific differences for the three PAD isozyme-specific inhibitors were observed on modulation of EV-signatures, PHB, STIM-1 and moesin protein levels, as well as on cell invasion. The PAD3 inhibitor was most effective in modulating EVs to anti-oncogenic signatures (reduced miR21 and miR210, and elevated miR126), to reduce cell invasion and to modulate protein expression of pro-GBM proteins in LN229 cells, while the PAD2 and PAD4 inhibitors were more effective in LN18 cells. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways for deiminated proteins relating to cancer, metabolism and inflammation differed between the two GBM cell lines. Our findings highlight roles for the different PAD isozymes in the heterogeneity of GBM tumours and the potential for tailored PAD-isozyme specific treatment.