The phosphorylation-specific association of STMN1 with GRP78 promotes breast cancer metastasis

• Specific STMN1 phosphorylation patterns associated with breast cancer metastasis.
• GRP78 is a phospho-Ser25/Ser38 STMN1-binding protein.
• Binding of phospho-STMN1 to GRP78 is regulated by MEK kinase.
• Integration of p-STMN1/GRP78 signatures predicts clinical outcomes in breast cancer.

Metastasis is a major cause of death in patients with breast cancer. Stathmin1 (STMN1) is a phosphoprotein associated with cancer metastasis. It exhibits a complicated phosphorylation pattern in response to various extracellular signals, but its signaling mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we report that phosphorylation of STMN1 at Ser25 and Ser38 is necessary to maintain cell migration capabilities and is associated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS) in breast cancer. In addition, we report that glucose-regulated protein of molecular mass 78 (GRP78) is a novel phospho-STMN1 binding protein upon STMN1 Ser25/Ser38 phosphorylation. This phosphorylation-dependent interaction is regulated by MEK kinase and is required for STMN1-GRP78 complex stability and STMN1-mediated migration. We also propose a prognostic model based on phospho-STMN1 and GRP78 to assess metastatic risk in breast cancer patients.