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Elucidation of the Mechanisms by which the Progesterone Receptor Inhibits Inflammatory Responses in Cellular Models of Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT: Both pro- and anti-mitogenic activities have been ascribed to progesterone receptor (PR) agonists and antagonists in breast cancer cells, however, the transcriptional responses that underlie these paradoxical functions are not apparent. Using non-transformed, normal human mammary epithelial cells (hMECs) engineered to express PR, and standard microarray technology, we defined 2,370 genes that were significantly regulated by the PR agonist R5020. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that GO-terms involved in inflammation and NF-κB signaling were among the most significantly regulated. Interestingly, on those NF-κB responsive genes that were inhibited by agonist-activated PR, antagonists either (a) mimicked the actions of agonists or (b) reversed the inhibitory actions of agonists. This difference in pharmacological response could be attributed to the fact that although agonist and antagonist-activated PR is recruited to the promoters of NF-κB responsive promoters, the physical presence of PR tethered to the promoter of some genes is sufficient for transcriptional inhibition whereas on others an agonist-activated PR conformation is required for inhibition of NF-κB signaling. Importantly, the actions of PR on the latter class of genes were reversed by an AF-2 inhibiting, LXXLL-containing peptide. Consideration of the relative activities of these distinct anti-inflammatory pathways in breast cancer may be instructive with respect to the likely therapeutic activity of PR agonists or antagonists in the treatment of breast cancer.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE24468 | GEO | 2010/10/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA132765

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Major roadblocks to developing effective progesterone receptor (PR)-targeted therapies in breast cancer include the lack of highly-specific PR modulators, a poor understanding of the pro- or anti-tumorigenic networks for PR isoforms and ligands, and an incomplete understanding of the cross talk between PR and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Through genomic analyses of xenografts treated with various clinically-relevant ER and PR-targeting drugs, we describe how the activation or inhibition of PR differentially reprograms estrogen signaling, resulting in the segregation of transcriptomes into separate PR agonist and antagonist-mediated groups. These findings address an ongoing controversy regarding the clinical utility of PR agonists and antagonists, alone or in combination with tamoxifen, for breast cancer management. Additionally, the two PR isoforms PRA and PRB, bind distinct genomic sites and interact with different sets of co-regulators to differentially modulate estrogen signaling to be either pro- or anti-tumorigenic. Of the two isoforms, PRA inhibited gene expression and ER chromatin binding significantly more than PRB. Differential gene expression was observed in PRA and PRB-rich patient tumors and importantly, PRA-rich gene signatures had poorer survival outcomes. In support of antiprogestin responsiveness of PRA-rich tumors, gene signatures associated with PR antagonists, but not PR agonists, predicted better survival outcomes. This better patient survival associated with PR antagonists versus PR agonists treatments was further reflected in the higher anti-tumor activity of combination therapies of tamoxifen with PR antagonists and modulators. The study suggests that distinguishing common effects observed due to concomitant interaction of another receptor with its ligand (agonist or antagonist) from unique isoform and ligand-specific effects will guide the development of biomarkers for patient selection and translation of PR-targeted therapies to the clinic.

Project description:Major roadblocks to developing effective progesterone receptor (PR)-targeted therapies in breast cancer include the lack of highly-specific PR modulators, a poor understanding of the pro- or anti-tumorigenic networks for PR isoforms and ligands, and an incomplete understanding of the cross talk between PR and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Through genomic analyses of xenografts treated with various clinically-relevant ER and PR-targeting drugs, we describe how the activation or inhibition of PR dictates distinct ER and PR chromatin binding and differentially reprograms estrogen signaling, resulting in the segregation of transcriptomes into separate PR agonist and antagonist-mediated groups. These findings address an ongoing controversy regarding the clinical utility of PR agonists and antagonists, alone or in combination with tamoxifen, for breast cancer management. Genomic analyses of the two PR isoforms, PRA and PRB, indicate that these isoforms bind distinct genomic sites and interact with different sets of co-regulators to differentially modulate gene expression as well as pro- or anti-tumorigenic phenotypes. Of the two isoforms, PRA inhibited gene expression and ER chromatin binding significantly more than PRB. Of note, the two isoforms reprogrammed estrogen activity to be either pro or anti-tumorigenic. In concordance to the in-vitro observations, differential gene expression was observed in PRA and PRB-rich patient tumors and importantly, PRA-rich gene signatures had poorer survival outcomes. In support of antiprogestin responsiveness of PRA-rich tumors, gene signatures associated with PR antagonists, but not PR agonists, predicted better survival outcomes. This differential of better patient survival associated with PR antagonists versus PR agonists treatments was further reflected in the higher anti-tumor activity of combination therapies of tamoxifen with PR antagonists and modulators. Knowledge of various determinants of PR action and their interactions with estrogen signaling to differentially modulate breast cancer biology should serve as a guide to the development of biomarkers for patient selection and translation of PR-targeted therapies to the clinic.

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Elucidation of the Mechanisms by which the Progesterone Receptor Inhibits Inflammatory Responses in Cellular Models of Breast Cancer

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