Project description:Breast cancer is a genetically and phenotypically complex disease. To understand the role of microRNAs in this molecular complexity, we performed miRNA expression analysis in a cohort of molecularly well-characterized human breast cancer (BC) cell lines to discover miRNAs associated with the most common molecular subtypes and the most frequent genetic aberrations.Using a microarray carrying LNA™ modified oligonucleotide capture probes (Exiqon), expression levels of 725 human miRNAs were measured in 51 BC cell lines. MiRNA expression was explored by unsupervised cluster analysis and then associated with the molecular subtypes and genetic aberrations commonly present in breast cancer. Unsupervised cluster analysis using the most variably expressed miRNAs divided the 51 BC cell lines into a major and a minor cluster predominantly mirroring the luminal and basal intrinsic subdivision of BC cell lines. One hundred and thirteen miRNAs were differentially expressed between these two main clusters of which half were related to the ER-status of the cell lines. Forty miRNAs were differentially expressed between basal-like and normal-like/claudin-low cell lines. Within the luminal-group of cell lines, 39 miRNAs were associated with ERBB2 overexpression and 24 miRNAs with E-cadherin gene mutations, which are frequent in this subtype of BC cell lines. In contrast, 31 different miRNAs were associated with E-cadherin promoter hypermethylation, which, contrary to E-cadherin mutation, is exclusively observed in BC cell lines that are not of luminal origin. The differential expression of 30 miRNAs were associated with p16INK4 status while only a few differentially expressed miRNAs were associated with BRCA1, or PIK3CA/PTEN, TP53 mutation status of the cell lines (P-value < 0.05). Twelve miRNAs were associated with DNA copy number variation of the respective locus. Luminal-basal and epithelial-mesenchymal associated miRNAs determine the overall subdivision of miRNA transcriptome of BC cell lines. Specific sets of miRNAs were associated with ERBB2 overexpression, p16INK4aor E-cadherin mutation or E-cadherin methylation status, which implies that these miRNAs may contribute to the driver role of the genetic aberrations. Additionally, miRNAs, which are located in a genomic region showing recurrent genetic aberrations, may themselves play a driver role in breast carcinogenesis or contribute to a driver gene in their vicinity. In short, our study provides detailed molecular miRNA portraits of BC cell lines, which can be exploited for functional studies of clinically important miRNAs. Affymetrix plus2PM arrays were hybridized according to the manufacturer's procedure using RNA extracted from 52 cultured breast cancer cell lines. Most cellines were analyzed in triplicate. Gene expression data in log2 scale arrays were calculated and associated with diverse characteristics. This submission represents the gene expression component of the study only

Project description:Breast Cancer (BC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related death in women. The most widespread BC subtype (75%) is the hormone-dependent, characterized by high expression of Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ERa). ERa exerts its oncogenic activity through the interaction with different co-regulators, carrying out a direct control on gene transcription and thus being the target of specific anticancer therapies. Despite the efficiency of these drugs, 30% of patients develop de novo or acquired resistance mechanisms, caused by alternative mechanisms that bypass antiestrogenic effects determining the onset of relapse. In order to identify new and potentially drugable Era molecular partners, essential genes for BC progression in luminal cell lines assessed by CRISPR-cas assay were compared to ERa interactome, dropping our focus on the tyrosine-protein kinase BAZ1B. BAZ1B is an essential component of the WICH complex and plays a crucial role in chromatin remodelling acting also as transcription regulator. In order to characterize the functional role of BAZ1B in luminal BC, we first employed a TCGA analysis that showed higher expression of BAZ1B in luminal BC associated with a worst overall survival and progression free survival of patient affected by this disease. A transcriptome profiling after BAZ1B silencing was performed in MCF-7 cells, highlighting an impact of modulated genes in key BC pathways including the estrogen signalling. BAZ1B silencing showed also an effect on cell growth, inhibiting cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis activation mechanisms promoted by the loss of ERa protein expression coupled to a reduction of the receptor transactivation activity. Interesting, these effects were confirmed also in antiestrogen (Tamoxifen and Fulvestrant) resistant BC cell models that retain ERa expression, suggesting BAZ1B as a novel and potentially exploitable therapeutic target in the treatment of both hormone dependent and resistant mammary tumours.

Project description:Breast cancer is a genetically and phenotypically complex disease. To understand the role of microRNAs in this molecular complexity, we performed miRNA expression analysis in a cohort of molecularly well-characterized human breast cancer (BC) cell lines to discover miRNAs associated with the most common molecular subtypes and the most frequent genetic aberrations.Using a microarray carrying LNA™ modified oligonucleotide capture probes (Exiqon), expression levels of 725 human miRNAs were measured in 51 BC cell lines. MiRNA expression was explored by unsupervised cluster analysis and then associated with the molecular subtypes and genetic aberrations commonly present in breast cancer. Unsupervised cluster analysis using the most variably expressed miRNAs divided the 51 BC cell lines into a major and a minor cluster predominantly mirroring the luminal and basal intrinsic subdivision of BC cell lines. One hundred and thirteen miRNAs were differentially expressed between these two main clusters of which half were related to the ER-status of the cell lines. Forty miRNAs were differentially expressed between basal-like and normal-like/claudin-low cell lines. Within the luminal-group of cell lines, 39 miRNAs were associated with ERBB2 overexpression and 24 miRNAs with E-cadherin gene mutations, which are frequent in this subtype of BC cell lines. In contrast, 31 different miRNAs were associated with E-cadherin promoter hypermethylation, which, contrary to E-cadherin mutation, is exclusively observed in BC cell lines that are not of luminal origin. The differential expression of 30 miRNAs were associated with p16INK4 status while only a few differentially expressed miRNAs were associated with BRCA1, or PIK3CA/PTEN, TP53 mutation status of the cell lines (P-value < 0.05). Twelve miRNAs were associated with DNA copy number variation of the respective locus. Luminal-basal and epithelial-mesenchymal associated miRNAs determine the overall subdivision of miRNA transcriptome of BC cell lines. Specific sets of miRNAs were associated with ERBB2 overexpression, p16INK4aor E-cadherin mutation or E-cadherin methylation status, which implies that these miRNAs may contribute to the driver role of the genetic aberrations. Additionally, miRNAs, which are located in a genomic region showing recurrent genetic aberrations, may themselves play a driver role in breast carcinogenesis or contribute to a driver gene in their vicinity. In short, our study provides detailed molecular miRNA portraits of BC cell lines, which can be exploited for functional studies of clinically important miRNAs.

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Molecular Characterization and Subtyping of Breast Cancer Cell Lines Provide Novel Insights into Cancer Relevant Genes

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Molecular Characterization and Subtyping of Breast Cancer Cell Lines Provide Novel Insights into Cancer Relevant Genes.

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