BAG3 (BCL2-associated athanogene 3) interacts with MMP-2 to positively regulate invasion by ovarian carcinoma cells

BAG3 (BCL2-associated athanogene 3) is a member of the BAG family proteins, which interact with and regulate Hsp70. Our aim in the present study was to correlate BAG3 expression in ovarian cancer with invasion and progression-free survival. We found that BAG3 interacts with MMP2 in cultured ovarian cancer cells, and that knockdown of BAG3 expression downregulated MMP2 expression and diminished cell motility and invasiveness. The incidence of BAG3 positivity was significantly higher at advanced clinical stages of ovarian cancer than at early stages. We suggest that BAG3 binds to MMP2 to positively regulate the process of cell invasion.