biostudies-literatureAi LNCI NIH HHS4875-87https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4329918biostudies-literatureUnknown74(17)TRIM29 (ATDC) exhibits a contextual function in cancer, but seems to exert a tumor-suppressor role in breast cancer. Here, we show that TRIM29 is often silenced in primary breast tumors and cultured tumor cells as a result of aberrant gene hypermethylation. RNAi-mediated silencing of TRIM29 in breast tumor cells increased their motility, invasiveness, and proliferation in a manner associated with increased expression of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and vimentin), decreased expression of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and EpCAM), and increased expression and activity of the oncogenic transcription factor TWIST1, an important driver of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Functional investigations revealed an inverse relationship in the expression of TRIM29 and TWIST1, suggesting Cancer researchTRIM29 suppresses TWIST1 and invasive breast cancer behavior.PMC4329918R03 CA1439801R03CA143980R01 CA155390P30 CA076292Kim WJPardo CEAlpay MTang MKladde MPHeldermon CDMay WSHatakeyama SAi LSiegel EMBrown KDfalseTRIM29 suppresses TWIST1 and invasive breast cancer behavior.TRIM29 (ATDC) exhibits a contextual function in cancer, but seems to exert a tumor-suppressor role in breast cancer. Here, we show that TRIM29 is often silenced in primary breast tumors and cultured tumor cells as a result of aberrant gene hypermethylation. RNAi-mediated silencing of TRIM29 in breast tumor cells increased their motility, invasiveness, and proliferation in a manner associated with increased expression of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and vimentin), decreased expression of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and EpCAM), and increased expression and activity of the oncogenic transcription factor TWIST1, an important driver of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Functional investigations revealed an inverse relationship in the expression of TRIM29 and TWIST1, suggesting 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z2014 Sep2025-04-04T14:39:52.024Z2019-03-27T01:45:17ZS-EPMC43299182495090910.1158/0008-5472.can-13-357910.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-3579