Hypoxia stimulates carcinoma invasion by stabilizing microtubules and promoting the Rab11 trafficking of the α6β4 integrin

Hypoxia plays a key role in tumor cell survival, invasion, and metastasis. Here we show that hypoxia increases tumor cell invasion by the modulation of Rab11, an important molecule for vesicular trafficking, especially membrane protein recycling and translocation of proteins from trans-Golgi network to plasma membrane. Dominant-negative Rab11 dramatically decreased hypoxia-induced invasion of MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells without affecting cell apoptosis. Hypoxiainduced Rab11 trafficking is regulated by microtubule stability, as evidenced by the findings that hypoxia increases Glu tubulin and that colchicine blocks Rab11 trafficking and invasion. Inhibition of GSK-30 activity by hypoxia seems to be central to microtubule stabilization and invasion. In fact, expression of a dominant-negative GSK-30 was sufficient to stimulate invasion in normoxia. One target of Rab11-mediated trafficking that contributes to invasion is the integrin alpha(6)beta(4). Hypoxia induced a significant increase in alpha(6)beta(4) surface expression but it had no effect on the surface expression of alpha(3)beta(1). This increase is dependent on Rab11. and stable microtubules. In summary, we identify vesicle trafficking as a novel target of hypoxic stimulation that is important for tumor invasion.