Increased ?-actinin-1 destabilizes E-cadherin-based adhesions and associates with poor prognosis in basal-like breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT: The controlled formation and stabilization of E-cadherin-based adhesions is vital for epithelial integrity. This requires co-operation between the E-cadherin-based adhesions and the associated actin cytoskeleton. In cancer, this co-operation often fails, predisposing cells to migration through molecular mechanisms that have only been partially characterized. Here, we demonstrate that the actin filament cross-linker ?-actinin-1 is frequently increased in human breast cancer. In mammary epithelial cells, the increased ?-actinin-1 levels promote cell migration and induce disorganized acini-like structures in Matrigel. This is accompanied by a major reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and the associated E-cadherin-based adhesions. Increased expression of ?-actinin-1 is particularly noted in basal-like breast cancer cell lines, and in breast cancer patients it associates with poor prognosis in basal-like subtypes. Downregulation of ?-actinin-1 in E-cadherin expressing basal-like breast cancer cells demonstrate that ?-actinin-1-assembled actin fibers destabilize E-cadherin-based adhesions. Taken together, these results indicate that increased ?-actinin-1 expression destabilizes E-cadherin-based adhesions, which is likely to promote the migratory potential of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, our results identify ?-actinin-1 as a candidate prognostic biomarker in basal-like breast cancer.
SUBMITTER: Kovac B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5942811 | biostudies-other | 2018
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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