scholarly journals Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer Cells by Cell Contact and Adhesion

2015 ◽  
Vol 14s3 ◽  
pp. CIN.S18965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena A. Cichon ◽  
Celeste M. Nelson ◽  
Derek C. Radisky

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a physiological program that is activated during cancer cell invasion and metastasis. We show here that EMT-related processes are linked to a broad and conserved program of transcriptional alterations that are influenced by cell contact and adhesion. Using cultured human breast cancer and mouse mammary epithelial cells, we find that reduced cell density, conditions under which cell contact is reduced, leads to reduced expression of genes associated with mammary epithelial cell differentiation and increased expression of genes associated with breast cancer. We further find that treatment of cells with matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), an inducer of EMT, interrupts a defined subset of cell contact-regulated genes, including genes encoding a variety of RNA splicing proteins known to regulate the expression of Rac1b, an activated splice isoform of Rac1 known to be a key mediator of MMP-3-induced EMT in breast, lung, and pancreas. These results provide new insights into how MMPs act in cancer progression and how loss of cell-cell interactions is a key step in the earliest stages of cancer development.

Tumor Biology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 9649-9659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Octavio Galindo-Hernandez ◽  
Cristina Gonzales-Vazquez ◽  
Pedro Cortes-Reynosa ◽  
Emmanuel Reyes-Uribe ◽  
Sonia Chavez-Ocaña ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (20) ◽  
pp. 10645-10661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria F Ogara ◽  
Santiago A Rodríguez-Seguí ◽  
Melisa Marini ◽  
Ana Silvina Nacht ◽  
Martin Stortz ◽  
...  

Abstract The glucocorticoid and progesterone receptors (GR and PR) are closely related members of the steroid receptor family. Despite sharing similar structural and functional characteristics; the cognate hormones display very distinct physiological responses. In mammary epithelial cells, PR activation is associated with the incidence and progression of breast cancer, whereas the GR is related to growth suppression and differentiation. Despite their pharmacological relevance, only a few studies have compared GR and PR activities in the same system. Using a PR+/GR+ breast cancer cell line, here we report that either glucocorticoid-free or dexamethasone (DEX)-activated GR inhibits progestin-dependent gene expression associated to epithelial-mesenchymal-transition and cell proliferation. When both receptors are activated with their cognate hormones, PR and GR can form part of the same complex according to co-immunoprecipitation, quantitative microscopy and sequential ChIP experiments. Moreover, genome-wide studies in cells treated with either DEX or R5020, revealed the presence of several regions co-bound by both receptors. Surprisingly, GR also binds novel genomic sites in cells treated with R5020 alone. This progestin-induced GR binding was enriched in REL DNA motifs and located close to genes coding for chromatin remodelers. Understanding GR behavior in the context of progestin-dependent breast cancer could provide new targets for tumor therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tytti Kärki ◽  
Eeva Kaisa Rajakylä ◽  
Anna Acheva ◽  
Sari Tojkander

Abstract Epithelial integrity is lost upon cancer progression as cancer cells detach from the primary tumor site and start to invade to the surrounding tissues. Invasive cancers of epithelial origin often express altered levels of TRP-family cation channels. Upregulation of TRPV6 Ca2+-channel has been associated with a number of human malignancies and its high expression in breast cancer has been linked to both proliferation and invasive disease. The mechanisms behind the potential of TRPV6 to induce invasive progression have, however, not been well elucidated. Here we show that TRPV6 is connected to both E-cadherin-based adherens junctions and intracellular cytoskeletal structures. Loss of TRPV6 from normal mammary epithelial cells led to disruption of epithelial integrity and abnormal 3D-mammo sphere morphology. Furthermore, expression level of TRPV6 was tightly linked to the levels of common EMT markers, suggesting that TRPV6 may have a role in the mesenchymal invasion of breast cancer cells. Thus, either too low or too high TRPV6 levels compromise homeostasis of the mammary epithelial sheets and may promote the progression of pathophysiological conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Ha Thi Thu Do ◽  
Jungsook Cho

Chemokine–receptor interactions play multiple roles in cancer progression. It was reported that the overexpression of X-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (XCR1), a specific receptor for chemokine X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (XCL1), stimulates the migration of MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells. However, the exact mechanisms of this process remain to be elucidated. Our study found that XCL1 treatment markedly enhanced MDA-MB-231 cell migration. Additionally, XCL1 treatment enhanced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of MDA-MB-231 cells via E-cadherin downregulation and upregulation of N-cadherin and vimentin as well as increases in β-catenin nucleus translocation. Furthermore, XCL1 enhanced the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. Notably, the effects of XCL1 on cell migration and intracellular signaling were negated by knockdown of XCR1 using siRNA, confirming XCR1-mediated actions. Treating MDA-MB-231 cells with U0126, a specific mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) 1/2 inhibitor, blocked XCL1-induced HIF-1α accumulation and cell migration. The effect of XCL1 on cell migration was also evaluated in ER-/HER2+ SK-BR-3 cells. XCL1 also promoted cell migration, EMT induction, HIF-1α accumulation, and ERK phosphorylation in SK-BR-3 cells. While XCL1 did not exhibit any significant impact on the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 expressions in MDA-MB-231 cells, it increased the expression of these enzymes in SK-BR-3 cells. Collectively, our results demonstrate that activation of the ERK/HIF-1α/EMT pathway is involved in the XCL1-induced migration of both MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells. Based on our findings, the XCL1–XCR1 interaction and its associated signaling molecules may serve as specific targets for the prevention of breast cancer cell migration and metastasis.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsu Hayashida ◽  
Hiromitsu Jinno ◽  
Yuko Kitagawa ◽  
Masaki Kitajima

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a multistep process in which cells acquire molecular alterations such as loss of cell-cell junctions and restructuring of the cytoskeleton. There is an increasing understanding that this process may promote breast cancer progression through promotion of invasive and metastatic tumor growth. Recent observations imply that there may be a cross-talk between EMT and cancer stem cell properties, leading to enhanced tumorigenicity and the capacity to generate heterogeneous tumor cell populations. Here, we review the experimental and clinical evidence for the involvement of EMT in cancer stem cell theory, focusing on the common characteristics of this phenomenon.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Wang ◽  
Ruocen Liao ◽  
Xingyu Chen ◽  
Xuhua Ying ◽  
Guanping Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Breast cancer is considered to be the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide, and metastasis is the primary cause of death. Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is a GPCR family member involved in the invasive and metastatic processes of cancer cells. However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of PAR1 in breast cancer remain unclear. In this study, we found that PAR1 is highly expressed in high invasive breast cancer cells, and predicts poor prognosis in ER-negative and high-grade breast cancer patients. Mechanistically, Twist transcriptionally induces PAR1 expression, leading to inhibition of Hippo pathway and activation of YAP/TAZ; Inhibition of PAR1 suppresses YAP/TAZ-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, migration, cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties, tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that PAR1 acts as a direct transcriptionally target of Twist, can promote EMT, tumorigenicity and metastasis by controlling the Hippo pathway; this may lead to a potential therapeutic target for treating invasive breast cancer.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document