Redox signaling at invasive microdomains in cancer cells

Redox signaling contributes to the regulation of cancer cell proliferation, survival, and invasion and participates in the adaptation of cancer cells to their microenvironment. NADPH oxidases are important mediators of redox signaling in normal and cancer cells. Redox signal specificity in normal cells is in part achieved by targeting enzymes that generate reactive oxygen species to specific subcellular microdomains such as focal adhesions, dorsal ruffles, lipid rafts, or caveolae. In a similar fashion, redox signal specificity during cancer cell invasion can be regulated by targeting reactive oxygen generation to invasive microdomains such as invadopodia. Here we summarize recent advances in the understanding of the redox signaling processes that control the cancer cell proinvasive program by modulating cell adhesion, migration, and proteolysis as well as the interaction of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment. We focus on redox signaling events mediated by invadopodia NADPH oxidase complexes and their contribution to cancer cell invasion. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.