Human recombinant arginase I [HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000]-induced arginine depletion inhibits ovarian cancer cell adhesion and migration through autophagy-mediated inhibition of RhoA

Ovarian carcinoma is the second most common malignancy of the female reproductive system and the leading cause of death from female reproductive system malignancies. Cancer cells have increased proliferation rate and thus require high amounts of amino acids, including arginine. L-arginine is a non-essential amino acid synthesized from L-citrulline by the Arginosuccinate synthetase (ASS1) enzyme. We have previously shown that the ovarian cancer cells, SKOV3, are auxotrophic to arginine, and that arginine deprivation by treatment with the genetically engineered human arginase I (HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000) triggers the death of SKOV3 cells by autophagy. In this study we examine the effect of HuArgI (Co)-PEG5000 on ovarian cancer cell migration and we dissect the mechanism involved. Wound healing assays, 2D random cell migration assays and cell adhesion analysis indicate that arginine deprivation decreases SKOV3 cell migration and adhesion. This effect was mimicked when autophagy was induced through rapamycin and reversed with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine when autophagy was inhibited. This proved that arginine deprivation leads to the inhibition of cancer cell migration through autophagy, in addition to cell death. In addition, we were able to establish through pull-down assays and reversal experiments, that arginine deprivation-mediated autophagy inhibits cell migration through a direct inhibition of RhoA, member of the Rho family of GTPases. In conclusion, here we identify, for the first time, an autophagy-mediated inhibition of RhoA that plays an important role in regulating ovarian cancer cells motility and adhesion in response to arginine depletion. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13048-021-00767-3.