MUC1-C activates the TAK1 inflammatory pathway in colon cancer

The mucin 1 (MUC1) oncoprotein has been linked to the inflammatory response by promoting cytokine-mediated activation of the NF-kappa B pathway. The TGF-beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is an essential effector of proinflammatory NF-kappa B signaling that also regulates cancer cell survival. The present studies demonstrate that the MUC1-C transmembrane subunit induces TAK1 expression in colon cancer cells. MUC1 also induces TAK1 in a MUC1(+/-)/IL-10(-/-) mouse model of colitis and colon tumorigenesis. We show that MUC1C promotes NF-kappa B-mediated activation of TAK1 transcription and, in a positive regulatory loop, MUC1-C contributes to TAK1-induced NF-kappa B signaling. In this way, MUC1-C binds directly to TAK1 and confers the association of TAK1 with TRAF6, which is necessary for TAK1-mediated activation of NF-kappa B. Targeting MUC1-C thus suppresses the TAK1 -> NF-kappa B pathway, downregulates BCL-XL and in turn sensitizes colon cancer cells to MEK inhibition. Analysis of colon cancer databases further indicates that MUC1, TAK1 and TRAF6 are upregulated in tumors associated with decreased survival and that MUC1-C-induced gene expression patterns predict poor outcomes in patients. These results support a model in which MUC1-C-induced TAK1 -> NF-kappa B signaling contributes to intestinal inflammation and colon cancer progression.