Gene expression analysis of dissociated and FDG FACS-sorted mammary glands of 16 week old nulliparous AXL +/LacZ and AXL LacZ/LacZ mice (B6.129P2-AXLtm1Dgen strain, Jackson Labs)
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ABSTRACT: The receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is associated with epithelial plasticity in several solid tumors including breast cancer and AXL-targeting agents are currently in clinical trials. We hypothesized that AXL is a driver of stemness traits in cancer by co-option of a regulatory function normally reserved for stem cells. AXL-expressing cells in human mammary epithelial ducts co-expressed markers associated with multipotency, and AXL inhibition abolished colony-formation and self-maintenance activities while promoting terminal differentiation in vitro. Axl-null mice did not exhibit a strong developmental phenotype, but enrichment of Axl+ cells was required for mouse mammary gland reconstitution upon transplantation, and Axl-null mice had reduced incidence of Wnt1-driven mammary tumors. An AXL-dependent gene signature is a feature of transcriptomes in basal breast cancers, and reduced patient survival irrespective of subtype. Our interpretation is that AXL regulates access to epithelial plasticity programs in MaSCs and, when coopted, maintains acquired stemness in breast cancer cells.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE156662 | GEO | 2020/08/25
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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