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Mechanisms of primary and secondary estrogen target gene regulation in breast cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: Estrogen receptors (ERs), which mediate the proliferative action of estrogens in breast cancer cells, are ligand-dependent transcription factors that regulate expression of their primary target genes through several mechanisms. In addition to direct binding to cognate DNA sequences, ERs can be recruited to DNA through other transcription factors (tethering), or affect gene transcription through modulation of signaling cascades by non-genomic mechanisms of action. To better characterize the mechanisms of gene regulation by estrogens, we have identified more than 700 putative primary and about 1300 putative secondary target genes of estradiol in MCF-7 cells through microarray analysis performed in the presence or absence of the translation inhibitor cycloheximide. Although siRNA-mediated inhibition of ERalpha expression antagonized the effects of estradiol on up- and down-regulated primary target genes, estrogen response elements (EREs) were enriched only in the vicinity of up-regulated genes. Binding sites for several other transcription factors, including proteins known to tether ERalpha, were enriched in up- and/or down-regulated primary targets. Secondary estrogen targets were particularly enriched in sites for E2F family members, several of which were transcriptionally regulated by estradiol, consistent with a major role of these factors in mediating the effects of estrogens on gene expression and cellular growth.

SUBMITTER: Bourdeau V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2248750 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mechanisms of primary and secondary estrogen target gene regulation in breast cancer cells.

Bourdeau Véronique V Deschênes Julie J Laperrière David D Aid Malika M White John H JH Mader Sylvie S

Nucleic acids research 20071105 1

Estrogen receptors (ERs), which mediate the proliferative action of estrogens in breast cancer cells, are ligand-dependent transcription factors that regulate expression of their primary target genes through several mechanisms. In addition to direct binding to cognate DNA sequences, ERs can be recruited to DNA through other transcription factors (tethering), or affect gene transcription through modulation of signaling cascades by non-genomic mechanisms of action. To better characterize the mecha ...[more]

PMID: 17986456

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Project description:Estrogen signaling and epigenetic modifications, in particular DNA methylation, are involved in regulation of gene expression in breast cancers. Here we investigated a potential regulatory cross-talk between these two pathways by identifying their common target genes and exploring potential underlying molecular mechanisms in human MCF7 breast cancer cells. Principal Findings: Gene expression profiling revealed that the expression of approximately 150 genes was influenced by both 17β-estradiol (E2) and a hypomethylating agent 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (DAC). Based on gene ontology (GO), CpG island prediction analysis and previously reported estrogen receptor (ER) binding regions, we selected six genes for further analysis (BTG3, FHL2, PMAIP1, BTG2, CDKN1A and TGFB2). GO analysis suggests that these genes are involved in intracellular signaling cascades, regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis, while CpG island prediction of promoter regions reveals that the promoters of these genes contain at least one CpG island. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we show that ERα is recruited to CpG islands in promoters, but neither in an E2- nor in a DAC-dependent fashion. DAC treatment reactivates the expression of all selected genes although only the promoters of BTG3 and FHL2 genes are methylated, with E2 treatment showing no effect on the methylation status of these promoters. Conclusions: We identified a set of genes regulated by both estrogen signaling and DNA methylation. However, our data does not support a direct molecular interplay of mediators of estrogen and epigenetic signaling at promoters of regulated genes. The aim of the study was to identify genes regulated by estrogen signaling and DNA methylation, using microarray approach. We compared the effects of E2 and DAC on global gene expression profiles in MCF7 cells. By comparing C_E2 (MP5-MP8 average) with C_EtOh samples (MP1-MP4 average), 802 genes were identified as up-regulated by E2, while 851 genes were identified as down-regulated by E2. 1017 genes were identified as up-regulated by DAC, by comparing A_EtOh (MP9-MP12 average) samples with C_EtOh, suggesting that DNA methylation is involved in their regulation. To identify possible common targets, we have compared the DAC up-regulated genes with E2-regulated genes. 88 annotated genes are found to be up-regulated by both E2 and DAC, suggesting that E2 has a hypomethylation-like effect on the regulation of these genes. 58 annotated genes are found to be down-regulated by E2 and up-regulated by DAC, suggesting that E2 has a hypermethylation-like effect on the regulation of these genes.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Estrogen receptors alpha (ER?) and beta (ER?) are transcription factors (TFs) that mediate estrogen signaling and define the hormone-responsive phenotype of breast cancer (BC). The two receptors can be found co-expressed and play specific, often opposite, roles, with ER? being able to modulate the effects of ER? on gene transcription and cell proliferation. ER? is frequently lost in BC, where its presence generally correlates with a better prognosis of the disease. The identification of the genomic targets of ER? in hormone-responsive BC cells is thus a critical step to elucidate the roles of this receptor in estrogen signaling and tumor cell biology. RESULTS: Expression of full-length ER? in hormone-responsive, ER?-positive MCF-7 cells resulted in a marked reduction in cell proliferation in response to estrogen and marked effects on the cell transcriptome. By ChIP-Seq we identified 9702 ER? and 6024 ER? binding sites in estrogen-stimulated cells, comprising sites occupied by either ER?, ER? or both ER subtypes. A search for TF binding matrices revealed that the majority of the binding sites identified comprise one or more Estrogen Response Element and the remaining show binding matrixes for other TFs known to mediate ER interaction with chromatin by tethering, including AP2, E2F and SP1. Of 921 genes differentially regulated by estrogen in ER?+ vs ER?- cells, 424 showed one or more ER? site within 10 kb. These putative primary ER? target genes control cell proliferation, death, differentiation, motility and adhesion, signal transduction and transcription, key cellular processes that might explain the biological and clinical phenotype of tumors expressing this ER subtype. ER? binding in close proximity of several miRNA genes and in the mitochondrial genome, suggests the possible involvement of this receptor in small non-coding RNA biogenesis and mitochondrial genome functions. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that the vast majority of the genomic targets of ER? can bind also ER?, suggesting that the overall action of ER? on the genome of hormone-responsive BC cells depends mainly on the relative concentration of both ERs in the cell.

Project description:While breast cancer patients with tumors that express estrogen receptor α (ER) generally respond well to hormone therapies that block ER activity, a significant number of patients relapse. Approximately 30% of these recurrences harbor activating mutations in the ligand binding domain (LBD) of ER, which have been shown to confer ligand-independent function. However, much is still unclear regarding the effect of mutant ER beyond its estrogen independence. To investigate the molecular effects of mutant ER, we developed multiple isogenic ER-mutant cell lines for the most common LBD mutations, Y537S and D538G. These mutations induced differential expression of thousands of genes, the majority of which were mutant allele specific and were not observed upon estrogen treatment of wild-type (WT) cells. These mutant-specific genes showed consistent differential expression across ER-mutant lines developed in other laboratories. WT cells with long-term estrogen exposure only exhibited some of these transcriptional changes, suggesting that mutant ER causes novel regulatory effects that are not simply due to constant activity. While ER mutations exhibited minor effects on ER genomic binding, with the exception of ligand independence, ER mutations conferred substantial differences in chromatin accessibility. Mutant ER was bound to approximately a quarter of mutant-enriched accessible regions that were enriched for other DNA binding factors, including FOXA1, CTCF, and OCT1. Overall, our findings indicate that mutant ER causes several consistent effects on gene expression, both indirectly and through constant activity. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates the multiple roles of mutant ER in breast cancer progression, including constant ER activity and secondary regulatory effects on gene expression and chromatin accessibility. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/81/3/539/F1.large.jpg.See related commentary by Hermida-Prado and Jeselsohn, p. 537 See related article by Williams and colleagues, p. 732.

Dataset Information

Mechanisms of primary and secondary estrogen target gene regulation in breast cancer cells.

Publications

Mechanisms of primary and secondary estrogen target gene regulation in breast cancer cells.

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