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Lipocalin 2 promotes breast cancer progression.

ABSTRACT: Here, we report that lipocalin 2 (Lcn2) promotes breast cancer progression, and we identify the mechanisms underlying this function. We first found that Lcn2 levels were consistently associated with invasive breast cancer in human tissue and urine samples. To investigate the function of Lcn2 in breast cancer progression, Lcn2 was overexpressed in human breast cancer cells and was found to up-regulate mesenchymal markers, including vimentin and fibronectin, down-regulate the epithelial marker E-cadherin, and significantly increase cell motility and invasiveness. These changes in marker expression and cell motility are hallmarks of an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). In contrast, Lcn2 silencing in aggressive breast cancer cells inhibited cell migration and the mesenchymal phenotype. Furthermore, reduced expression of estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and increased expression of the key EMT transcription factor Slug were observed with Lcn2 expression. Overexpression of ERalpha in Lcn2-expressing cells reversed the EMT and reduced Slug expression, suggesting that ERalpha negatively regulates Lcn2-induced EMT. Finally, orthotopic studies demonstrated that Lcn2-expressing breast tumors displayed a poorly differentiated phenotype and showed increased local tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis. Taken together, these in vitro, in vivo, and human studies demonstrate that Lcn2 promotes breast cancer progression by inducing EMT through the ERalpha/Slug axis and may be a useful biomarker of breast cancer.

SUBMITTER: Yang J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2656179 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Lipocalin 2 promotes breast cancer progression.

Yang Jiang J Bielenberg Diane R DR Rodig Scott J SJ Doiron Robert R Clifton Matthew C MC Kung Andrew L AL Strong Roland K RK Zurakowski David D Moses Marsha A MA

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20090223 10

Here, we report that lipocalin 2 (Lcn2) promotes breast cancer progression, and we identify the mechanisms underlying this function. We first found that Lcn2 levels were consistently associated with invasive breast cancer in human tissue and urine samples. To investigate the function of Lcn2 in breast cancer progression, Lcn2 was overexpressed in human breast cancer cells and was found to up-regulate mesenchymal markers, including vimentin and fibronectin, down-regulate the epithelial marker E-c ...[more]

PMID: 19237579

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Project description:BackgroundBone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been reported to maintain epithelial integrity and to antagonize the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition. The expression of soluble BMP antagonists is dysregulated in cancers and interrupts proper BMP signaling in breast cancer.MethodsIn this study, we mined the prognostic role of BMP antagonists GREMLIN 1 (GREM1) in primary breast cancer tissues using in-house and publicly available datasets. We determined which cells express GREM1 RNA using in situ hybridization (ISH) on a breast cancer tissue microarray. The effects of Grem1 on the properties of breast cancer cells were assessed by measuring the mesenchymal/stem cell marker expression and functional cell-based assays for stemness and invasion. The role of Grem1 in breast cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) activation was measured by analyzing the expression of fibroblast markers, phalloidin staining, and collagen contraction assays. The role of Grem1 in CAF-induced breast cancer cell intravasation and extravasation was studied by utilizing xenograft zebrafish breast cancer (co-) injection models.ResultsExpression analysis of clinical breast cancer datasets revealed that high expression of GREM1 in breast cancer stroma is correlated with a poor prognosis regardless of the molecular subtype. The large majority of human breast cancer cell lines did not express GREM1 in vitro, but breast CAFs did express GREM1 both in vitro and in vivo. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) secreted by breast cancer cells, and also inflammatory cytokines, stimulated GREM1 expression in CAFs. Grem1 abrogated bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/SMAD signaling in breast cancer cells and promoted their mesenchymal phenotype, stemness, and invasion. Moreover, Grem1 production by CAFs strongly promoted the fibrogenic activation of CAFs and promoted breast cancer cell intravasation and extravasation in co-injection xenograft zebrafish models.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that Grem1 is a pivotal factor in the reciprocal interplay between breast cancer cells and CAFs, which promotes cancer cell invasion. Targeting Grem1 could be beneficial in the treatment of breast cancer patients with high Grem1 expression.

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Lipocalin 2 promotes breast cancer progression.

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Lipocalin 2 promotes breast cancer progression.

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