The invariant chain CD74 protein is a cell surface binding partner of TIMP‐1 in breast cancer cells

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1 (TIMP‐1) regulates the proteolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), playing an important role in the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix. Beyond its well‐known role in tissue maintenance, TIMP‐1 has been associated with multiple MMP‐independent cytokine‐like functions. The protein structure of TIMP‐1, with two distinct domains, one interacting with MMPs and another able to bind multiple partners, provides a rationale for this multifunctionality. The identification of CD63 as a cell surface receptor for TIMP‐1, able to mediate intracellular signaling through the Erk/MAPK axis, provided a molecular basis for the role of TIMP‐1 in cellular signaling. However, several lines of evidence suggest that TIMP‐1 may be able to associate with many interaction partners, thus attaining multiple functions. To enable the identification of previously unknown interaction partners that may underpin the core cellular functions of TIMP‐1, known as well as unknown, we performed a yeast two‐hybrid screening using a mammary gland complementary DNA (cDNA) library. We report here the identification of multiple interactors, including MHC class II‐associated invariant chain γ (CD74). We verified that CD74 interacts with TIMP‐1 in breast cancer cells and that this interaction contributes to cellular internalization of TIMP‐1 and mediates intracellular signaling through the Akt signaling axis in breast cancer cells. These data provide new insights into the complex nature of the functions of TIMP‐1 and their potential mechanistic basis.