Induction of BAIAP3 by the EWS-WT1 chimeric fusion implicates regulated exocytosis in tumorigenesis

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is defined genetically by the chimeric fusion of the Ewing's sarcoma and Wilms' tumor genes, generating a novel transcription factor, EWS-WT1. By using cells with inducible EWS-WT1 to screen high-density microarrays, we identified BAIAP3 as a transcriptional target of the chimera. The BAIAP3 promoter is specifically bound in vivo by the (-KTS) isoform of EWS-WT1, consistent with its activation in reporter assays. BAIAP3 encodes a protein implicated in regulated exocytosis, which is colocalized with a secreted growth factor within cytoplasmic organelles. Ectopic expression of BAIAP3 in tumor cells dramatically enhances growth in low serum and colony formation in soft agar. BAIAP3 therefore encodes a transcriptional target of an oncogenic fusion protein that implicates the regulated exocytotic pathway in cancer cell proliferation.