A feed-forward loop between SorLA and HER3 determines heregulin response and neratinib resistance

Abstract

Current evidence indicates that resistance to HER2-targeted therapies is frequently associated with HER3 and active signaling via HER2-HER3 dimers, particularly in the context of breast cancer. Thus, understanding the response to HER2-HER3 signaling and the regulation of the dimer per se remains essential to decipher therapy relapse mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that signaling by HER3 growth factor ligands, heregulins, support the transcription of a type-1 transmembrane sorting receptor, sortilin-related receptor (SorLA; SORL1) downstream of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. In addition, we demonstrate that SorLA interacts directly with HER3, forming a trimeric complex with HER2 and HER3 to attenuate lysosomal degradation of the dimer through a Rab4-dependent manner. In line with a role for SorLA in supporting the stability of the HER2 and HER3 receptors, loss of SorLA compromised heregulin-induced cell proliferation and sensitized metastatic anti-HER2 therapy-resistant breast cancer cells to neratinib in cancer spheroids in vitro and in vivo in a zebrafish brain xenograft model. Collectively, our results demonstrate a novel feed-forward loop consisting of heregulin, HER2-HER3 and SorLA, which controls breast cancer growth and anti-HER2 therapy resistance in vitro and in vivo. SignificanceHER3 signaling, through ERK/MAPK, upregulates SorLA and SorLA controls the trafficking and stability of HER3 to support cancer proliferation and neratinib resistance.