Cell-surface galectin-3 confers resistance to TRAIL by impeding trafficking of death receptors in metastatic colon adenocarcinoma cells.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis and preferentially kills tumor cells by engaging specific glycosylated death receptors, resulting in the internalization of ligand/receptor complexes and recruitment of the initiator caspase-8 to an activation platform known as the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). However, emergence of TRAIL-resistant sub-populations may contribute to therapeutic failure. To investigate resistance mechanisms, we isolated a stable TRAIL-resistant sub-population of the metastatic colon cancer cell line LS-LIM6, designated LIM6-TR. LIM6-TR cells are impaired in endocytosis of TRAIL/death receptors complexes and failed to recruit/activate caspase-8 to the DISC upon TRAIL stimulation. Differential activation of Wnt and JNK pathways is not responsible for acquisition of TRAIL resistance. LIM6-TR cells display a marked increase in cell-surface expression of galectin-3, an endogenous lectin, which co-localizes with and binds death receptors. Silencing of galectin-3 restores TRAIL sensitivity and promotes TRAIL-mediated endocytosis of TRAIL/death receptors complexes. Inhibitors of galectin-3 and glycosylation also re-sensitize LIM6-TR to TRAIL and restore internalization of ligand/receptors complexes. These studies identify a novel TRAIL-resistance mechanism in which galectin-3 impedes trafficking of death receptor by anchoring them in glycan nano-clusters, blocking the execution of the apoptosis signal.