Transient receptor potential melastatin 7 signaling in U251 cell migration and invasion involves calcineurin

Transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) is a divalent cation channel that has crucial functions in glioblastoma (GBM), which remains the most prevalent and lethal primary brain tumor in adults. Altering TRPM7 activity has previously been reported to affect GBM cell function (i.e., migration, invasion, and proliferation), thus elucidating the TRPM7-mediated signaling pathway in GBM could reveal novel therapeutic targets. Calcineurin, a Ca2+-dependent phosphatase, also influences GBM cell survival and migration. However, the role or the relationship between TRPM7 and calcineurin in GBM signaling has not previously been investigated. In this study, we provide evidence that there is a possible interaction between TRPM7 and calcineurin in the GBM cell line U251. Moreover, we employed pharmacological approaches to show that TRPM7 regulates calcineurin function, thereby suggesting that calcineurin is a potential downstream target of TRPM7 signaling in U251 cell migration and invasion.