Project description:Tamoxifen, an antagonist to estrogen receptor (ER), is a first line drug used in breast cancer treatment. However, this therapy is complicated by the fact that a substantial number of patients exhibit either de novo or acquired resistance. To characterize the signaling mechanisms underlying the resistance to tamoxifen, we established a tamoxifen-resistant cell line by treating the MCF7 breast cancer cell line with tamoxifen for over 6 months. We showed that this cell line exhibited resistance to tamoxifen both in vitro and in vivo. In order to quantify the phosphorylation alterations associated with tamoxifen resistance, we performed SILAC-based quantitative phosphoproteomic profiling on the resistant and vehicle-treated sensitive cell lines where we identified >5,600 unique phosphopeptides. We found phosphorylation levels of 1,529 peptides were increased (>2 fold) and 409 peptides were decreased (<0.5-fold) in tamoxifen resistant cells compared to tamoxifen sensitive cells. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that focal adhesion pathway was the top enriched signaling pathway activated in tamoxifen resistant cells. We observed hyperphosphorylation of the focal adhesion kinases FAK1 and FAK2 in the tamoxifen resistant cells. Of note, FAK2 was not only hyperphosphorylated but also transcriptionally upregulated in tamoxifen resistant cells. Suppression of FAK2 by specific siRNA knockdown could sensitize the resistant cells to the treatment of tamoxifen. We further showed that inhibiting FAK activity using the small molecule inhibitor PF562271 repressed cellular proliferation in vitro and tumor formation in vivo. More importantly, our survival analysis revealed that high expression of FAK2 significantly associated with short metastasis-free survival of ER-positive breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen-based hormone therapy. Our studies suggest that FAK2 is a great potential target for the development of therapy for the treatment of hormone refractory breast cancers.

Project description:Resistance to tamoxifen is a major challenge in the treatment of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Acquired resistance to drug involves multilayered genetic and epigenetic regulation . The oncogene EZH2 plays significant role in the development of resistance against tamoxifen, widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. Inhibition of EZH2 has proven to reverse the tamoxifen resistance breast cancer cells back to the sensitive state. The molecular mechanism through which EZH2 inhibition triggers its effects are not known.This study was conducted to understand the global change in proteome profile of tamoxifen resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells as a result of effect of EZH2 knockdown. Label Free Quantitative proteomics revealed a large number of proteins altered in acquired tamoxifen resistant cells compared to the sensitive cells. A total of 286 proteins were identified with normalized RT for each m/z out of which 86 proteins were upregulated by more than 1.3 fold and 98 proteins were down regulated by more than 1.3 fold in MCF-7 tamoxifen resistant breast cancer cells in comparison to the sensitive breast cancer cells. Upon EZH2 knockdown in tamoxifen resistant cells, a total of 115 proteins were found to be altered with 20 proteins upregulated by more than 1.3 fold and 49 proteins down regulated by more than 1.3 fold. Among the top upregulated proteins were L-lactate dehydrogenase A chain, Alpha and Gamma-enolase, Calreticulin, heat shock protein HSP-90-beta, Alpha-actinin-4, Elongation factor 1-alpha, Vimentin, Protein S100A6, Putative protein FAM10A5, Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 and Keratin 1. In addition, 15 proteins were found to be down regulated in EZH2si transfected tamoxifen sensitive cells which otherwise were highlyup regulated in resistant cells in the presence of normal level of EZH2. This indicates a possible regulation of these molecules by EZH2 leading to loss of resistance. Our data unveils important molecular players downstream to EZH2 knockdown leading to regain of sensitivity to tamoxifen in acquired tamoxifen resistance.Thus, EZH2 seems to exert its effects through regulation of metabolism, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and protein synthesis & folding. Hence, targeting EZH2 or the molecules down the cascade might be helpful in reacquiring sensitivity to tamoxifen intamoxifen-resistant cells.

Project description:Purpose: Tamoxifen is the most commonly used antiestrogen drug for breast cancer treatment, however, acquired resistance is a considerable challenge in clinic. Complexity and redundancy in biological system implies tamoxifen resistance is associated with complex biological processes. The aim of this study is to attempt to reveal the mechanism of tamoxifen resistance using high-throughput sequencing technique. Methods: We applied digital gene expression (DGE), RNA-seq, Small RNA-seq, bisulifte-seq (reduced representation bisuflite sequencing (RRBS)) with Illumina sequencing platforms, and Array CGH to analyze two well-established tamoxifen resistant cell line models: one is the LCC cell line model that was derived from MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and developed tamoxifen resistance following a step-wise strategy. This cell line model includes LCC0 (estrogen-dependent and tamoxifen sensitive), LCC1 (estrogen-independent and tamoxifen sensitive), LCC2 (derived from LCC1 with increased small-dosage tamoxifen treatment, estrogen-independent, and tamoxifen-resistant), and LCC9 (derived from LCC1 with increased small-dosage fluvestrant treatment, estrogen-independent, and cross-resistance to both fluvestrant and tamoxifen). The other is the TAMR cell line model that was derived from MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and developed four tamoxifen-resistant sublines following the strategy of high-dosage of tamoxifen treatment. Each subline was developed from the survived single cell after the tamoxifen treatment. Results: The DGE and RNA-seq results showed characteristic expression features for the both cell line models, for instance, high expression of SOX2 and alterations of other SOX gene family members, decreased expression of PGR, PTEN, TP53, EZH2, SMAD3, TGF-β1, DNMT1, APOBEC3B, FOXO3 and FOXO4, and increased expression of CDH1, APOBEC3H, FOXA1, TET2, TET3, TDG, MBD4, DNMT3a and DNMT3b between the tamoxifen-resistant cell lines with their matched parental cell lines. Small RNA seq showed the decreased expressions of miR-1, miR-196-3p, miR-18a-5p, miR-125b-5p, and the increased expression of miR-23a-3p, miR-26b-5p, miR-320d, miR-141-3p, miR-23a-3p, miR-30a-5p, miR-9-5p, miR-200c, miR-129-5p, miR-125b-5p, miR-1285-3p and miR-30b-5p between the tamoxifen-resistant cell lines and their matched parental cell lines. Additionally, let-7a and let-7c have been found to present high expression levels in the tamoxifen resistant cells in the both cell line models, even it showed significantly decreased in some TAMR cells compared with their parental cell line. The RRBS showed similar DNA methylation levels between the LCC cell lines. Array CGH showed a small number of copy number variants between the LCC cell lines. Conclusion: Our present study suggests the development of tamoxifen resistance is associated with a dynamic process of cell fate changing. Therefore, new therapeutic method that targets whole cell system and cell fate dynamics, will be a promising strategy.

Project description:A functional genetic screen to identify genes causing tamoxifen resistance in an estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell model was performed. By insertion of defective retrovirus into the genome, individual genetic changes were introduced at random in ZR-75-1 cells. Subsequently, infected cells were selected for their ability to proliferate while being exposed to tamoxifen, and from these cultures stable cell lines were established. The retrovirus insertion sites were mapped enabling the identification of several candidate breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance (BCAR) genes. By cDNA transfection of estrogen-dependent cells resulting in their transformation into a tamoxifen-resistant phenotype, proof was provided for the causative role of BCAR genes.A functional genetic screen to identify genes causing tamoxifen resistance in an estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell model was performed. By insertion of defective retrovirus into the genome, individual genetic changes were introduced at random in ZR-75-1 cells. Subsequently, infected cells were selected for their ability to proliferate while being exposed to tamoxifen, and from these cultures stable cell lines were established. The retrovirus insertion sites were mapped enabling the identification of several candidate breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance (BCAR) genes identified. By cDNA transfection of estrogen-dependent cells resulting in their transformation into a tamoxifen-resistant phenotype, proof was provided for the causative role of BCAR genes (Van Agthoven et al, Breast Cancer Res Treat DOI:10.1007/s10549-008-9969-5, 2008). To elucidate the mechanisms how these individual BCAR genes induce cell proliferation in growth-arrested ZR-75-1 cells, we assessed the gene expression patterns between the different groups of cell lines. Keywords: Expression profiling, reference design RNA was isolated from two independent cultures of 69 tamoxifen-resistant cell lines. Detailed information regarding these cell lines with respect to the viral integration sites, was described previously (Van Agthoven et al, Breast Cancer Res Treat DOI:10.1007/s10549-008-9969-5, 2008). Each sample was hybridized in duplicate/triplicate and once in a dye-swap. The mixture of cell lines used as a reference was detailed previously (Jansen et al, J Clin Oncol 23, 732, 2005).

Dataset Information

MicroRNA expression profiling of tamoxifen sensitive and resistant ER+ breast cancer cell lines

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