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P190B RhoGAP overexpression in the developing mammary epithelium induces TGF?-dependent fibroblast activation.

ABSTRACT: Rho GTPases mediate stromal-epithelial interactions that are important for mammary epithelial cell (MEC) morphogenesis. Increased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and reorganization affect MEC morphogenesis in a Rho GTPase-dependent manner. Although the effects of altered ECM on MEC morphogenesis have been described, how MECs regulate stromal deposition is not well understood. Previously, we showed that p190B RhoGAP overexpression disrupts mammary gland morphogenesis by inducing hyperbranching in association with stromal alterations. We therefore hypothesized that MEC overexpression of p190B regulates paracrine interactions to impact fibroblast activation. Using a combination of in vivo morphometric and immunohistochemical analyses and primary cell culture assays, we found that p190B overexpression in MECs activates fibroblasts leading to increased collagen, fibronectin, and laminin production and elevated expression of the collagen crosslinking enzyme lysyl oxidase. Phosphorylation of the TGF-? effector SMAD2 and expression of the TGF-? target gene ?Sma were increased in p190B-associated fibroblasts, suggesting that elevated TGF-? signaling promoted fibroblast activation. Mechanical tension and TGF-? cooperate to activate fibroblasts. Interestingly, active TGF-? was elevated in conditioned medium from p190B overexpressing MECs compared to control MECs, and p190B overexpressing MECs exhibited increased contractility in a collagen gel contraction assay. These data suggest that paracrine signaling from the p190B overexpressing MECs may activate TGF-? signaling in adjacent fibroblasts. In support of this, transfer of conditioned medium from p190B overexpressing MECs onto wildtype fibroblasts or co-culture of p190B overexpressing MECs with wildtype fibroblasts increased SMAD2 phosphorylation and mRNA expression of ECM genes in the fibroblasts when compared to fibroblasts treated with control CM or co-cultured with control MECs. The increased ECM gene expression and SMAD2 phosphorylation were blocked by treatment with a TGF-? receptor inhibitor. Taken together, these data suggest that p190B overexpression in the mammary epithelium induces fibroblast activation via elevated TGF-? paracrine signaling.

SUBMITTER: Gillette M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3661508 | biostudies-other | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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P190B RhoGAP overexpression in the developing mammary epithelium induces TGFβ-dependent fibroblast activation.

Gillette Melissa M Bray Kristi K Blumenthaler Alisa A Vargo-Gogola Tracy T

PloS one 20130522 5

Rho GTPases mediate stromal-epithelial interactions that are important for mammary epithelial cell (MEC) morphogenesis. Increased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and reorganization affect MEC morphogenesis in a Rho GTPase-dependent manner. Although the effects of altered ECM on MEC morphogenesis have been described, how MECs regulate stromal deposition is not well understood. Previously, we showed that p190B RhoGAP overexpression disrupts mammary gland morphogenesis by inducing hyperbranch ...[more]

PMID: 23717689

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Project description:The Rho GTPase Cdc42 is overexpressed and hyperactivated in breast tumors compared to normal breast tissue. Cdc42 regulates key processes that are critical for mammary gland morphogenesis and become disrupted during the development, progression, and metastasis of breast cancer. However, the contribution of Cdc42 to normal and neoplastic mammary gland development in vivo remains poorly understood. We were therefore interested in investigating the effects of Cdc42 overexpression on mammary gland morphogenesis as a first step toward understanding how its overexpression may contribute to mammary tumorigenesis.We developed a tetracycline-regulatable Cdc42 overexpression mouse model in which Cdc42 can be inducibly overexpressed in the developing mammary gland. The effects of Cdc42 overexpression during postnatal mammary gland development were investigated using in vivo and in vitro approaches, including morphometric analysis of wholemounted mammary glands, quantification of histological markers, and primary mammary epithelial cell (MEC) functional and biochemical assays.Analysis of Cdc42-overexpressing mammary glands revealed abnormal terminal end bud (TEB) morphologies, characterized by hyperbudding and trifurcation, and increased side branching within the ductal tree. Quantification of markers of proliferation and apoptosis suggested that these phenotypes were not due to increased cell proliferation or survival. Rather, Cdc42 overexpressing MECs were more migratory and contractile and formed dysmorphic, invasive acini in three-dimensional cultures. Cdc42 and RhoA activities, phosphorylated myosin light chain, and MAPK signaling, which contribute to migration and invasion, were markedly elevated in Cdc42 overexpressing MECs. Interestingly, Cdc42 overexpressing mammary glands displayed several features associated with altered epithelial-stromal interactions, which are known to regulate branching morphogenesis. These included increased stromal thickness and collagen deposition, and stromal cells isolated from Cdc42 overexpressing mammary glands exhibited elevated mRNA expression of extracellular matrix proteins and remodeling enzymes.These data suggest that Cdc42 overexpression disrupts mammary gland branching morphogenesis by altering Rho GTPase and MAPK signaling, leading to increased MEC contractility and migration in association with stromal alterations. Our studies provide insight into how aberrant Cdc42 expression may contribute to mammary tumorigenesis.

Project description:P190A and p190B Rho GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) are essential genes that have distinct, but overlapping roles in the developing nervous system. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that p190B is required for mammary gland morphogenesis, and we hypothesized that p190A might have a distinct role in the developing mammary gland. To test this hypothesis, we examined mammary gland development in p190A-deficient mice. P190A expression was detected by in situ hybridization in the developing E14.5day embryonic mammary bud and within the ducts, terminal end buds (TEBs), and surrounding stroma of the developing virgin mammary gland. In contrast to previous results with p190B, examination of p190A heterozygous mammary glands demonstrated that p190A deficiency disrupted TEB morphology, but did not significantly delay ductal outgrowth indicating haploinsufficiency for TEB development. To examine the effects of homozygous deletion of p190A, embryonic mammary buds were rescued by transplantation into the cleared fat pads of SCID/Beige mice. Complete loss of p190A function inhibited ductal outgrowth in comparison to wildtype transplants (51% vs. 94% fat pad filled). In addition, the transplantation take rate of p190A deficient whole gland transplants from E18.5 embryos was significantly reduced compared to wildtype transplants (31% vs. 90%, respectively). These results suggest that p190A function in both the epithelium and stroma is required for mammary gland development. Immunostaining for p63 demonstrated that the myoepithelial cell layer is disrupted in the p190A deficient glands, which may result from the defective cell adhesion between the cap and body cell layers detected in the TEBs. The number of estrogen- and progesterone receptor-positive cells, as well as the expression levels of these receptors was increased in p190A deficient outgrowths. These data suggest that p190A is required in both the epithelial and stromal compartments for ductal outgrowth and that it may play a role in mammary epithelial cell differentiation.

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Dataset Information

P190B RhoGAP overexpression in the developing mammary epithelium induces TGF?-dependent fibroblast activation.

Publications

P190B RhoGAP overexpression in the developing mammary epithelium induces TGFβ-dependent fibroblast activation.

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