Project description:Limited knowledge of the changes in estrogen receptor (ER) signaling during the transformation of the normal mammary gland to breast cancer hinders the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies. Differences in estrogen signaling between normal human primary breast epithelial cells and primary breast tumors obtained immediately following surgical excision were explored. Transcriptional profiling of normal ER+ mature luminal mammary epithelial cells and ER+ breast tumors revealed significant difference in the response to estrogen stimulation. Consistent with these differences in gene expression, the normal and tumor ER cistromes were distinct and sufficient to segregate normal breast tissues from breast tumors. The selective enrichment of the DNA binding motif GRHL2 in the breast cancer-specific ER cistrome suggests that it may play a role in the differential function of ER in breast cancer. Depletion of GRHL2 resulted in altered ER binding and differential transcriptional responses to estrogen stimulation. Furthermore, GRHL2 was demonstrated to be essential for estrogen-stimulated proliferation of ER+ breast cancer cells. DLC1 was also identified as an estrogen-induced tumor suppressor in the normal mammary gland with decreased expression in breast cancer. In clinical cohorts, loss of DLC1 and gain of GRHL2 expression are associated with breast cancer and are independently predictive for worse survival. This study suggests that normal ER signaling is lost and tumor-specific ER signaling is gained during breast tumorigenesis. Unraveling these changes in ER signaling during breast cancer progression should aid the development of more effective prevention strategies and targeted therapeutics. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Abnormal estrogen receptor (ER) signaling drives the majority of breast cancers and is targeted by endocrine therapies. However, in normal breast tissue, ER signaling has been demonstrated to promote benign functions such as development and differentiation. Using genomic techniques to characterize ER function in normal breast and breast tumors, this study reveals differential patterns of ER signaling, suggesting that normal ER signaling is lost and tumorigenic ER signaling gained during breast tumor formation. Better understanding of this process can aid the development of improved breast cancer prevention strategies and therapies.
Project description:The crosstalk between tumor cells and the adjacent normal epithelium contributes to cancer progression, but its regulators have remained elusive. Here, we show that breast cancer cells maintained in hypoxia release small extracellular vesicles (sEV) that activate mitochondrial dynamics, stimulate mitochondrial movements and promote organelle accumulation at the cortical cytoskeleton in normal mammary epithelial cells. This results in Akt activation, membrane focal adhesion turnover and increased epithelial cell migration. RNA-Seq profiling identified Integrin-Linked Kinase (ILK) as the most upregulated pathway in sEV-treated epithelial cells and genetic or pharmacologic targeting of ILK reversed mitochondrial reprogramming and suppressed sEV-induced cell movements. In a three-dimensional model of mammary gland morphogenesis, sEV treatment induced hallmarks of malignant transformation, with deregulated cell death/cell proliferation, loss of apical-basal polarity and appearance of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Therefore, sEV released by hypoxic breast cancer cells reprogram mitochondrial dynamics and induce oncogenic changes in a normal mammary epithelium
Project description:Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is the major driving transcription factor in normal mammary gland development as well as breast cancer initiation and progression.However,the fundamental mechanisms,including global cistromic and genomic transcriptional responses that are required to elicit mammary epithelial cell proliferation in response to ERα, have not been elucidated. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify estrogen regulated genes that directly recruit ERα in the WT mouse mammary gland
Project description:The tumor suppressor gene p53 is frequently mutated in human breast cancer and is a marker for poor prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy. Transplantation of p53-null mouse mammary epithelium into syngeneic wild-type mice leads to normal mammary gland development followed by spontaneous mammary tumors that recapitulate many of the phenotypic, molecular, and genetic features of human breast cancer. Using this genetically engineered mouse model, we have examined the molecular mechanisms underlying tamoxifen-dependent tumor prevention. To determine whether the changes observed in the ERα cistrome after tamoxifen exposure are reflected in changes in estrogen responsive gene signatures in p53-null mammary epithelial cells (MECs), we performed global gene expression analysis by microarray profiling of MECs isolated from control and tamoxifen-exposed mice 4 weeks after tamoxifen withdrawal and treated with E2 for 8h. We identified 245 differentially regulated genes (P<0.01 and FC>1.4). Of these, 177 genes (72%) were persistently upregulated and 68 genes (28%) were persistently downregulated after transient exposure to tamoxifen. These results indicate that transient exposure to tamoxifen leads to lasting intrinsic changes in gene expression profiles of p53-null mammary epithelial cells that persist after tamoxifen withdrawal.
Project description:Cancer prevention has a profound impact on cancer-associated mortality and morbidity. We previously identified TGFβ signaling as a candidate regulator of mammary epithelial cells associated with breast cancer risk. Here, we show that short-term TGFBR inhibitor (TGFBRi) treatment of peripubertal ACI inbred and Sprague Dawley outbred rats induces lasting changes and prevents estrogen- and carcinogen-induced mammary tumors, respectively. We identify TGFBRi-responsive cell populations by single cell RNA-sequencing, including a unique epithelial subpopulation designated secretory basal cells (SBCs) with progenitor features. We detect SBCs in normal human breast tissues and find them to be associated with breast cancer risk. Interactome analysis identifies SBCs as the most interactive cell population and the main source of insulin-IGF signaling. Accordingly, inhibition of TGFBR and IGF1R decrease proliferation of organoid cultures. Our results reveal a critical role for TGFβ in regulating mammary epithelial cells relevant to breast cancer and serve as a proof-of-principle cancer prevention strategy.
Project description:Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is the major driving transcription factor in normal mammary gland development as well as breast cancer initiation and progression.However,the fundamental mechanisms,including global cistromic and genomic transcriptional responses that are required to elicit mammary epithelial cell proliferation in response to estradiol, have not been elucidated. We used RNA-seq analysis to identify global gene expression signatures that are acutely regulated by estroegn receptors in the mouse mammary gland after acute estradiol treatment.
Project description:Emerging data indicate that breast epithelial stem cells and progenitors, particularly those in the luminal epithelial cell lineage, are the cells-of-origin of breast carcinomas, and factors that influence breast cancer risk may alter the number and/or properties of these cells. We hypothesize that a subset of p27+ cells represent hormone-responsive progenitors that are quiescent due to the high activity of TGFβ signaling in these cells. The Estrogen-induced mammary tumor model in ACI inbred rats is physiologically relevant rodent model of breast cancer. In the present study we successfully generated Cdkn1b knockout ACI rats and performed comprehensive phenotypic assessment and RNAseq profiling using FACS sorted basal (CD24+CD29high) and luminal (CD24+CD29low) cell populations to characterize Cdkn1b+/+ and Cdkn1b-/- females in prepubertal and adult cohorts. We found that p27KO rats exhibited mammary differentiation phenotype and reduced numbers of mammary epithelial progenitor pool, Interestingly, p27 ablation has the most pronounced effect on luminal progenitor cell gene expression, and milk protein genes and pStat5 were dramatically upregulated, while PR and FoxA1 were greatly downregulated in Cdkn1b-/- luminal cells. Further characterization of mammary glands of prepubertal Cdkn1b knockout rats by fat pad transplantation illustrated p27 deletion in the mammary cancer susceptible ACI rat strain induced mammary epithelial cell differentiation through cell non-autonomous mechanisms.
Project description:Global proteomic profiling of three mammary epithelial cell types in normal human breast tissue. Primary breast specimens were obtained from 10 women undergoing reduction mammoplasties. Clinical co-variates include age (28-67), hormone status (follicular, luteal, post-menopausal) and mammary epithelial cell type (basal, luminal progenitor, mature luminal).
Project description:Retinoids have been used as potential chemotherapeutic or chemo-preventive agents because of their differentiation, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-oxidant effects. We investigated the effect of all trans- retinoic acid (ATRA) at different stages of the neoplastic transformation using an in vitro model of breast cancer progression. This model was previously developed by treating the human normal-like breast epithelial MCF-10F cells with high dose of estradiol and consist of five cell lines which shown a progressive neoplastic transformation: MCF-10F (normal stage), trMCF (premalignant stage), bsMCF (invasive stage) and caMCF (tumorigenic stage). In 3D-cultures, MCF-10F cells form tubules resembling the normal mammary gland although after treatment with high doses of estradiol, trMCF cells, formed tubules and, spherical masses which are an indication of cell transformation. By ring cloning, trMCF clone 11 which only formed spherical masses in collagen was isolated. Our results showed that the early transformed trMCF clone 11 cells shown a reduction of spherical masses and increased of tubules in collagen after being treated with 10-5M (10M-BM-5M) and 10-6M (1M-BM-5M) ATRA; the number of tubules was higher in cells treated with 10-6M ATRA (43% vs. 10% tubules). The invasive bsMCF and tumorigenic caMCF cells did not shown any changes in morphology after ATRA treatment. Analysis of expression studies in early transformed cells treated with 10-6M ATRA showed that 271 probes upregulated in trMCF clone 11 cells were downregulated after ATRA treatment and, 316 probes that were downregulated were upregulated after ATRA treatment in these cells to similar levels than the normal breast epithelial cells MCF-10F. These genes were involved in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling, RAR Activation, xenobiotic metabolisms signaling, molecular mechanisms of cancer and cell morphology. Our results shown that ATRA was able to re-differentiate transformed cells at early stages of the neoplastic process suggesting that ATRA could potentially be used to inhibit the progression of premalignant lesions of the breast such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We investigated the effect of all trans- retinoic acid (ATRA) at different stages of the neoplastic transformation using an in vitro model of breast cancer progression. This model was previously developed by treating the human normal-like breast epithelial MCF-10F cells with high dose of estradiol and consist of five cell lines which shown a progressive neoplastic transformation: MCF-10F (normal stage), trMCF (premalignant stage), bsMCF (invasive stage) and caMCF (tumorigenic stage).
Project description:For the largest class of human tumors, those of epithelial origin, little is known about their initiating genetic hits or cells of origin. Whether tissue stem cells or more committed progenitors are targets for transformation is also uncertain. Experience in hematopoietic malignancies and sarcomas teaches that recurrent chromosomal translocations represent initiating oncogenic events. To develop a system in which epithelial tumorigenesis can be assessed from the initial event to frank malignancy, we have generated mice that conditionally express the Etv6-NTRK3 (EN) fusion oncoprotein, the product of the t(12;15)(p13;q25) translocation characteristic of one form of human breast cancer. Activation of EN expression in mammary tissues by Whey acidic protein (Wap) promoter-driven Cre leads to fully penetrant, multifocal malignant breast cancer with short latency. We provide genetic evidence that committed, bipotent or CD61+ luminal alveolar progenitors, can be targets of tumorigenesis. Furthermore, EN transforms these otherwise transient progenitors through the AP1 complex. Our model supports the existence of an epithelial cell hierarchy in both normal mammary glands and malignancy. To our knowledge, this is the first murine model of human epithelial cancer based on a recurrent chromosomal translocation. Given increasing relevance of chromosomal translocations in epithelial cancers, such mice serve as a paradigm for the study of their genetic pathogenesis and cellular origins, and generation of novel preclinical models. Experiment Overall Design: Reference X Sample