TNFalpha up-regulates SLUG via the NF-kappaB/HIF1alpha axis, which imparts breast cancer cells with a stem cell-like phenotype.

ABSTRACT: Extracellular and intracellular mediators of inflammation, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF?) and NF-kappaB (NF-?B), play major roles in breast cancer pathogenesis, progression and relapse. SLUG, a mediator of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, is over-expressed in CD44(+)/CD24(-) tumor initiating breast cancer cells and in basal-like carcinoma, a subtype of aggressive breast cancer endowed with a stem cell-like gene expression profile. Cancer stem cells also over-express members of the pro-inflammatory NF-?B network, but their functional relationship with SLUG expression in breast cancer cells remains unclear. Here, we show that TNF? treatment of human breast cancer cells up-regulates SLUG with a dependency on canonical NF-?B/HIF1? signaling, which is strongly enhanced by p53 inactivation. Moreover, SLUG up-regulation engenders breast cancer cells with stem cell-like properties including enhanced expression of CD44 and Jagged-1 in conjunction with estrogen receptor alpha down-regulation, growth as mammospheres, and extracellular matrix invasiveness. Our results reveal a molecular mechanism whereby TNF?, a major pro-inflammatory cytokine, imparts breast cancer cells with stem cell-like features, which are connected to increased tumor aggressiveness.

SUBMITTER: Storci G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2939957 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature