MBIP (MAP3K12 binding inhibitory protein) drives NSCLC metastasis by JNK-dependent activation of MMPs

Metastasis is the cause for 90% of cancer-related mortalities. Identification of genetic drivers promoting dissemination of tumor cells may provide opportunities for novel therapeutic strategies. We previously reported an in vivo gain-of-function screen that identified ∼30 genes with a functional role in metastasis promotion and characterized detailed mechanistic functions of two hits. In the present study, we characterized the contribution of one of the identified genes, MBIP (MAP3K12 binding inhibitory protein), towards driving tumor invasion and metastasis. We demonstrate that expression of MBIP significantly enhances the cellular proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro and metastasis in vivo. We functionally characterized that MBIP mediates activation of the JNK pathway and induces expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are necessary for the invasive and metastatic phenotype. Our findings establish a novel mechanistic role of MBIP as a driver of NSCLC progression and metastasis.