Project description:The goal of this experiment was to identify genes that were expressed at higher levels in benign human mammary epithelial cells than in breast cancer cell lines and that were induced by 5AZA treatment in breast cancer cell lines. Six breast cancer cell lines were selected for demethylation studies based on known tumor suppressor gene expression regulation by promoter region hypermethylation: HCC1569 (CCND2), HCC1954 (SCGB3A1, APC, RASSF1A), MCF-7 (RAR-beta2), MDA-MB-231 (ESR1), UACC3199 (BRCA1), and BT-549 (hypermethylator phenotype). Other than MCF10A we specifically avoided immortalized benign human mammary epithelial cell lines for this experiment as these cells frequently show tumor suppressor gene methylation (e.g. p16) and gene expression profiles that are intermediate between normal breast epithelial cells and breast cancer. Instead, we opted to test six first-passage benign human mammary epithelial cell cultures (HME) generated in serum-free media from small fragments of normal breast tissue obtained from young women undergoing fibroadenoma excision. The 5AZA dose (0.5 microM) was selected based on evaluation of growth curves and induction of BNC1, SERPINB, and TKTL1 gene expression measured by RT-PCR in benign and malignant cells. The breast cancer cell lines, HME cultures, and MC10A cells were treated with 0.5 microM 5AZA (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) in DMSO or DMSO alone for six days after which the cells were harvested, and RNA prepared using the Illumina TotalPrep kit (AMIL1791, Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY). Whole genome expression was assessed using the Illumina HumanWG-6-v3 chip Gene expression was evaluated in 6 breast cancer cell lines, 6 primary breast epithelial cell cultures, and MCF10A cells after 6 days in DMSO or DMSO plus 0.5 microM 5AZA.
Project description:The goal of this experiment was to identify genes that were expressed at higher levels in benign human mammary epithelial cells than in breast cancer cell lines and that were induced by 5AZA treatment in breast cancer cell lines. Six breast cancer cell lines were selected for demethylation studies based on known tumor suppressor gene expression regulation by promoter region hypermethylation: HCC1569 (CCND2), HCC1954 (SCGB3A1, APC, RASSF1A), MCF-7 (RAR-beta2), MDA-MB-231 (ESR1), UACC3199 (BRCA1), and BT-549 (hypermethylator phenotype). Other than MCF10A we specifically avoided immortalized benign human mammary epithelial cell lines for this experiment as these cells frequently show tumor suppressor gene methylation (e.g. p16) and gene expression profiles that are intermediate between normal breast epithelial cells and breast cancer. Instead, we opted to test six first-passage benign human mammary epithelial cell cultures (HME) generated in serum-free media from small fragments of normal breast tissue obtained from young women undergoing fibroadenoma excision. The 5AZA dose (0.5 microM) was selected based on evaluation of growth curves and induction of BNC1, SERPINB, and TKTL1 gene expression measured by RT-PCR in benign and malignant cells. The breast cancer cell lines, HME cultures, and MC10A cells were treated with 0.5 microM 5AZA (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) in DMSO or DMSO alone for six days after which the cells were harvested, and RNA prepared using the Illumina TotalPrep kit (AMIL1791, Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY). Whole genome expression was assessed using the Illumina HumanWG-6-v3 chip
Project description:RNA-seq of doxycycline induced tumor and residual mouse primary mammary epithelial cells grown in 3D cell cultures against non-induced controls
Project description:Global proteomic profiling of three mammary epithelial cell types in normal human breast tissue. Primary breast specimens were obtained from 10 women undergoing reduction mammoplasties. Clinical co-variates include age (28-67), hormone status (follicular, luteal, post-menopausal) and mammary epithelial cell type (basal, luminal progenitor, mature luminal).
Project description:Basal breast cancers, an aggressive breast cancer subtype that has poor treatment options, are thought to arise from luminal mammary epithelial cells that undergo basal-like plasticity through poorly understood mechanisms. Using genetic mouse models and ex vivo primary organoid cultures, we show that conditional co-deletion of the LATS1 and LATS2 kinases, key effectors of Hippo pathway signaling, in mature mammary luminal epithelial cells promotes the development of basal-like carcinomas that metastasize over time. Genetic co-deletion experiments revealed that phenotypes resulting from the loss of LATS1/2 activity are dependent on the transcriptional regulators YAP/TAZ. Notably, transcriptional analyses of LATS1/2-deleted mammary epithelial cells revealed a gene expression program that associates with human basal breast cancers. Our study demonstrates in vivo roles for the LATS1/2 kinases in mammary epithelial homeostasis and luminal-basal fate control and implicates signaling networks induced upon the loss of LATS1/2 activity in the development of basal breast cancers.
Project description:Porcine mammary fatty tissues represent an abundant source of biomaterial for generation of breast-specific extracellular matrix (ECM). Here we report the extraction of total ECM proteins from pig breast fatty tissues, the fabrication of hydrogel scaffolds from the extracted ECM proteins, the structural properties of the scaffolds, and the applications of the hydrogel in human mammary epithelial cell spatial cultures for cell surface receptor expression, metabolomics characterization, acini formation, proliferation, migration between different scaffolding compartments, and in vivo tumor formation. This model system provides an additional option for studying human breast diseases such as breast cancer.