1
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Stedile M, Lara Montero A, García Solá ME, Goddio MV, Beckerman I, Bogni E, Ayre M, Naguila Z, Coso OA, Kordon EC. Tristetraprolin promotes survival of mammary progenitor cells by restraining TNFα levels. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 11:1265475. [PMID: 38274271 PMCID: PMC10808302 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1265475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Tristetraprolin (TTP) is an RNA binding protein that destabilizes mRNAs of factors involved in proliferation, invasiveness, and inflammation. Disruption of the gene that codes for TTP (Zfp36) led to severe arthritis, autoimmunity, cachexia and dermatitis in mice. It has been shown that these phenotypes were mostly due to excessive TNFα levels in the affected tissues. We have previously reported that TTP expression is required for lactation maintenance. Our results indicated that conditional MG TTP-KO female mice displayed early involution due to the untimely induction of pro-inflammatory pathways led mostly by TNFα overexpression. Here we show that reducing TTP levels not only affects the fully differentiated mammary gland, but also harms morphogenesis of this tissue by impairing the progenitor cell population. We found that Zfp36 expression is linked to mammary stemness in human and mice. In addition, diminishing TTP expression and activity induced apoptosis of stem-like mouse mammary cells, reduced its ability to form mammospheres in culture and to develop into complete glands when implanted into cleared mammary fat pads in vivo. Our results show that survival of the stem-like cells is compromised by increased levels of inflammatory cytokines and stimulation of signaling cascades involving NFκB, STAT3 and MAPK-p38 activation. Moreover, TNFα overexpression and the consequent p38 phosphorylation would be the leading cause of progenitor cell death upon TTP expression restriction. Taken together, our results reveal the relevance of TTP for the maintenance of the mammary progenitor cell compartment by maintaining local TNFα levels at bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Stedile
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Angela Lara Montero
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Emilio García Solá
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Victoria Goddio
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Inés Beckerman
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Emilia Bogni
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marina Ayre
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Zaira Naguila
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Omar A. Coso
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Edith C. Kordon
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Química Biológica (DQB), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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2
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Wicker MN, Wagner KU. Cellular Plasticity in Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5605. [PMID: 38067308 PMCID: PMC10705338 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15235605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular plasticity is a phenomenon where cells adopt different identities during development and tissue homeostasis as a response to physiological and pathological conditions. This review provides a general introduction to processes by which cells change their identity as well as the current definition of cellular plasticity in the field of mammary gland biology. Following a synopsis of the evolving model of the hierarchical development of mammary epithelial cell lineages, we discuss changes in cell identity during normal mammary gland development with particular emphasis on the effect of the gestation cycle on the emergence of new cellular states. Next, we summarize known mechanisms that promote the plasticity of epithelial lineages in the normal mammary gland and highlight the importance of the microenvironment and extracellular matrix. A discourse of cellular reprogramming during the early stages of mammary tumorigenesis that follows focuses on the origin of basal-like breast cancers from luminal progenitors and oncogenic signaling networks that orchestrate diverse developmental trajectories of transforming epithelial cells. In addition to the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, we highlight events of cellular reprogramming during breast cancer progression in the context of intrinsic molecular subtype switching and the genesis of the claudin-low breast cancer subtype, which represents the far end of the spectrum of epithelial cell plasticity. In the final section, we will discuss recent advances in the design of genetically engineered models to gain insight into the dynamic processes that promote cellular plasticity during mammary gland development and tumorigenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kay-Uwe Wagner
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Tumor Biology Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, 4100 John R, EL01TM, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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3
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Chung WC, Egan SE, Xu K. A tumor-suppressive function for Notch3 in the parous mammary gland. Development 2022; 149:277236. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Notch3 promotes mammary luminal cell specification and forced Notch3 activation can induce mammary tumor formation. However, recent studies suggest a tumor-suppressive role for Notch3. Here, we report on Notch3 expression and functional analysis in the mouse mammary gland. Notch3 is expressed in the luminal compartment throughout mammary gland development, but switches to basal cells with initiation of post-lactational involution. Deletion of Notch3 caused a decrease of Notch activation in luminal cells and diminished luminal progenitors at puberty, as well as reduced alveolar progenitors during pregnancy. Parous Notch3−/− mammary glands developed hyperplasia with accumulation of CD24hiCD49flo cells, some of which progressed to invasive tumors with luminal features. Notch3 deletion abolished Notch activation in basal cells during involution, accompanied by altered apoptosis and reduced brown adipocytes, leading to expansion of parity-identified mammary epithelial cells (PI-MECs). Interestingly, the postpartum microenvironment is required for the stem cell activity of Notch3−/− PI-MECs. Finally, high expression of NOTCH3 is associated with prolonged survival in patients with luminal breast cancer. These results highlight an unexpected tumor-suppressive function for Notch3 in the parous mammary gland through restriction of PI-MEC expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Cheng Chung
- Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center 1 , Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Sean E. Egan
- Program in Cell Biology, The Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children 2 , Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 , Canada
| | - Keli Xu
- Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center 1 , Jackson, MS 39216, USA
- University of Mississippi Medical Center 3 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , , Jackson, MS 39216, USA
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4
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Twigger AJ, Engelbrecht LK, Bach K, Schultz-Pernice I, Pensa S, Stenning J, Petricca S, Scheel CH, Khaled WT. Transcriptional changes in the mammary gland during lactation revealed by single cell sequencing of cells from human milk. Nat Commun 2022; 13:562. [PMID: 35091553 PMCID: PMC8799659 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27895-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Under normal conditions, the most significant expansion and differentiation of the adult mammary gland occurs in response to systemic reproductive hormones during pregnancy and lactation to enable milk synthesis and secretion to sustain the offspring. However, human mammary tissue remodelling that takes place during pregnancy and lactation remains poorly understood due to the challenge of acquiring samples. We report here single-cell transcriptomic analysis of 110,744 viable breast cells isolated from human milk or non-lactating breast tissue, isolated from nine and seven donors, respectively. We found that human milk largely contains epithelial cells belonging to the luminal lineage and a repertoire of immune cells. Further transcriptomic analysis of the milk cells identified two distinct secretory cell types that shared similarities with luminal progenitors, but no populations comparable to hormone-responsive cells. Taken together, our data offers a reference map and a window into the cellular dynamics that occur during human lactation and may provide further insights on the interplay between pregnancy, lactation and breast cancer. Human mammary tissue remodelling that takes place during pregnancy and lactation remains poorly understood. Here the authors characterize cells in human milk, identifying epithelial cells resembling luminal progenitors and immune cells, contributing insights into this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alecia-Jane Twigger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. .,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England. .,Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Lisa K Engelbrecht
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Karsten Bach
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England
| | | | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England
| | - Jack Stenning
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England
| | - Stefania Petricca
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.,Biomedical Center (BMC), Division of Physiological Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christina H Scheel
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany. .,Department of Dermatology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Walid T Khaled
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. .,Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, England.
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5
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Dual recombinase action in the normal and neoplastic mammary gland epithelium. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20775. [PMID: 34675248 PMCID: PMC8531329 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00231-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed a transgenic mouse line that expresses the codon-optimized Flp recombinase under the control of the MMTV promoter in luminal epithelial cells of the mammary gland. In this report, we demonstrate the versatile applicability of the new MMTV-Flp strain to manipulate genes in a temporally and spatially controlled manner in the normal mammary gland, in luminal-type mammary tumors that overexpress ERBB2, and in a new KRAS-associated mammary cancer model. Although the MMTV-Flp is expressed in a mosaic pattern in the luminal epithelium, the Flp-mediated activation of a mutant KrasG12D allele resulted in basal-like mammary tumors that progressively acquired mesenchymal features. Besides its applicability as a tool for gene activation and cell lineage tracing to validate the cellular origin of primary and metastatic tumor cells, we employed the MMTV-Flp transgene together with the tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase to demonstrate that the combinatorial action of both recombinases can be used to delete or to activate genes in established tumors. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we conditionally deleted the JAK1 tyrosine kinase in KRAS-transformed mammary cancer cells using the dual recombinase approach and found that lack of JAK1 was sufficient to block the constitutive activation of STAT3. The collective results from the various lines of investigation showed that it is, in principle, feasible to manipulate genes in a ligand-controlled manner in neoplastic mammary epithelial cells, even when cancer cells acquire a state of cellular plasticity that may no longer support the expression of the MMTV-Flp transgene.
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6
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Rusidzé M, Adlanmérini M, Chantalat E, Raymond-Letron I, Cayre S, Arnal JF, Deugnier MA, Lenfant F. Estrogen receptor-α signaling in post-natal mammary development and breast cancers. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:5681-5705. [PMID: 34156490 PMCID: PMC8316234 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03860-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
17β-estradiol controls post-natal mammary gland development and exerts its effects through Estrogen Receptor ERα, a member of the nuclear receptor family. ERα is also critical for breast cancer progression and remains a central therapeutic target for hormone-dependent breast cancers. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the complex ERα signaling pathways that involve either classical nuclear “genomic” or membrane “non-genomic” actions and regulate in concert with other hormones the different stages of mammary development. We describe the cellular and molecular features of the luminal cell lineage expressing ERα and provide an overview of the transgenic mouse models impacting ERα signaling, highlighting the pivotal role of ERα in mammary gland morphogenesis and function and its implication in the tumorigenic processes. Finally, we describe the main features of the ERα-positive luminal breast cancers and their modeling in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Rusidzé
- INSERM U1297, Institut Des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Université de Toulouse - UPS, CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - Marine Adlanmérini
- INSERM U1297, Institut Des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Université de Toulouse - UPS, CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - Elodie Chantalat
- INSERM U1297, Institut Des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Université de Toulouse - UPS, CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - I Raymond-Letron
- LabHPEC et Institut RESTORE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS U-5070, EFS, ENVT, Inserm U1301, Toulouse, France
| | - Surya Cayre
- Department of Cell Biology and Cancer, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne University, CNRS UMR144, Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Arnal
- INSERM U1297, Institut Des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Université de Toulouse - UPS, CHU, Toulouse, France
| | - Marie-Ange Deugnier
- Department of Cell Biology and Cancer, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne University, CNRS UMR144, Paris, France
| | - Françoise Lenfant
- INSERM U1297, Institut Des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Université de Toulouse - UPS, CHU, Toulouse, France.
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7
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ΔN63 suppresses the ability of pregnancy-identified mammary epithelial cells (PIMECs) to drive HER2-positive breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:525. [PMID: 34023861 PMCID: PMC8141055 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03795-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
While pregnancy is known to reduce a woman's life-long risk of breast cancer, clinical data suggest that it can specifically promote HER2 (human EGF receptor 2)-positive breast cancer subtype (HER2+ BC). HER2+ BC, characterized by amplification of HER2, comprises about 20% of all sporadic breast cancers and is more aggressive than hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (the majority of cases). Consistently with human data, pregnancy strongly promotes HER2+ BC in genetic mouse models. One proposed mechanism of this is post-pregnancy accumulation of PIMECs (pregnancy-identified mammary epithelial cells), tumor-initiating cells for HER2+ BC in mice. We previously showed that p63, a homologue of the tumor suppressor p53, is required to maintain the post-pregnancy number of PIMECs and thereby promotes HER2+ BC. Here we set to test whether p63 also affects the intrinsic tumorigenic properties of PIMECs. To this end, we FACS-sorted YFP-labeled PIMECs from p63+/-;ErbB2 and control p63+/+;ErbB2 females and injected their equal amounts into immunodeficient recipients. To our surprise, p63+/- PIMECs showed increased, rather than decreased, tumorigenic capacity in vivo, i.e., significantly accelerated tumor onset and tumor growth, as well as increased self-renewal in mammosphere assays and proliferation in vitro and in vivo. The underlying mechanism of these phenotypes seems to be a specific reduction of the tumor suppressor TAp63 isoform in p63+/- luminal cells, including PIMECs, with concomitant aberrant upregulation of the oncogenic ΔNp63 isoform, as determined by qRT-PCR and scRNA-seq analyses. In addition, scRNA-seq revealed upregulation of several cancer-associated (Il-4/Il-13, Hsf1/HSP), oncogenic (TGFβ, NGF, FGF, MAPK) and self-renewal (Wnt, Notch) pathways in p63+/-;ErbB2 luminal cells and PIMECs per se. Altogether, these data reveal a complex role of p63 in PIMECs and pregnancy-associated HER2+ BC: maintaining the amount of PIMECs while suppressing their intrinsic tumorigenic capacity.
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8
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Allouch S, Gupta I, Malik S, Al Farsi HF, Vranic S, Al Moustafa AE. Breast Cancer During Pregnancy: A Marked Propensity to Triple-Negative Phenotype. Front Oncol 2021; 10:580345. [PMID: 33425733 PMCID: PMC7786283 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.580345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast and cervical cancers comprise 50% of all cancers during pregnancy. In particular, gestational breast cancer is considered one of the most aggressive types of cancers, which is a rare but fatal disease. However, the incidence of this type of cancer is increasing over the years and its prevalence is expected to rise further as more women delay childbearing. Breast cancer occurring after pregnancy is generally triple negative with specific characterizations of a poorer prognosis and outcome. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that this cancer is associated with a specific group of genes which can be used as precise targets to manage this deadly disease. Indeed, combination therapies consisting of gene-based agents with other cancer therapeutics is presently under consideration. We herein review recent progress in understanding the development of breast cancer during pregnancy and their unique subtype of triple negative which is the hallmark of this type of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumaya Allouch
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ishita Gupta
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.,Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shaza Malik
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.,Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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9
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Borges VF, Lyons TR, Germain D, Schedin P. Postpartum Involution and Cancer: An Opportunity for Targeted Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatments? Cancer Res 2020; 80:1790-1798. [PMID: 32075799 PMCID: PMC8285071 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-3448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Childbirth at any age confers a transient increased risk for breast cancer in the first decade postpartum and this window of adverse effect extends over two decades in women with late-age first childbirth (>35 years of age). Crossover to the protective effect of pregnancy is dependent on age at first pregnancy, with young mothers receiving the most benefit. Furthermore, breast cancer diagnosis during the 5- to 10-year postpartum window associates with high risk for subsequent metastatic disease. Notably, lactation has been shown to be protective against breast cancer incidence overall, with varying degrees of protection by race, multiparity, and lifetime duration of lactation. An effect for lactation on breast cancer outcome after diagnosis has not been described. We discuss the most recent data and mechanistic insights underlying these epidemiologic findings. Postpartum involution of the breast has been identified as a key mediator of the increased risk for metastasis in women diagnosed within 5-10 years of a completed pregnancy. During breast involution, immune avoidance, increased lymphatic network, extracellular matrix remodeling, and increased seeding to the liver and lymph node work as interconnected pathways, leading to the adverse effect of a postpartum diagnosis. We al discuss a novel mechanism underlying the protective effect of breastfeeding. Collectively, these mechanistic insights offer potential therapeutic avenues for the prevention and/or improved treatment of postpartum breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia F Borges
- Young Women's Breast Cancer Translational Program, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado.
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Traci R Lyons
- Young Women's Breast Cancer Translational Program, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Doris Germain
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Pepper Schedin
- Young Women's Breast Cancer Translational Program, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado.
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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10
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Fu NY, Nolan E, Lindeman GJ, Visvader JE. Stem Cells and the Differentiation Hierarchy in Mammary Gland Development. Physiol Rev 2019; 100:489-523. [PMID: 31539305 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00040.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammary gland is a highly dynamic organ that undergoes profound changes within its epithelium during puberty and the reproductive cycle. These changes are fueled by dedicated stem and progenitor cells. Both short- and long-lived lineage-restricted progenitors have been identified in adult tissue as well as a small pool of multipotent mammary stem cells (MaSCs), reflecting intrinsic complexity within the epithelial hierarchy. While unipotent progenitor cells predominantly execute day-to-day homeostasis and postnatal morphogenesis during puberty and pregnancy, multipotent MaSCs have been implicated in coordinating alveologenesis and long-term ductal maintenance. Nonetheless, the multipotency of stem cells in the adult remains controversial. The advent of large-scale single-cell molecular profiling has revealed striking changes in the gene expression landscape through ontogeny and the presence of transient intermediate populations. An increasing number of lineage cell-fate determination factors and potential niche regulators have now been mapped along the hierarchy, with many implicated in breast carcinogenesis. The emerging diversity among stem and progenitor populations of the mammary epithelium is likely to underpin the heterogeneity that characterizes breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai Yang Fu
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Tumour-Host Interaction Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emma Nolan
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Tumour-Host Interaction Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Lindeman
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Tumour-Host Interaction Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jane E Visvader
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Tumour-Host Interaction Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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11
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Slepicka PF, Cyrill SL, Dos Santos CO. Pregnancy and Breast Cancer: Pathways to Understand Risk and Prevention. Trends Mol Med 2019; 25:866-881. [PMID: 31383623 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have made strong efforts to understand how age and parity modulate the risk of breast cancer. A holistic understanding of the dynamic regulation of the morphological, cellular, and molecular milieu of the mammary gland offers insights into the drivers of breast cancer development as well as into potential prophylactic interventions, the latter being a longstanding ambition of the research and clinical community aspiring to eradicate the disease. In this review we discuss mechanisms that react to pregnancy signals, and we delineate the nuances of pregnancy-associated dynamism that contribute towards either breast cancer development or prevention. Further definition of the molecular basis of parity and breast cancer risk may allow the elaboration of tools to predict and survey those who are at risk of breast cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila F Slepicka
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Samantha L Cyrill
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Camila O Dos Santos
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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12
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Hormones induce the formation of luminal-derived basal cells in the mammary gland. Cell Res 2019; 29:206-220. [PMID: 30631153 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-018-0137-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammary gland, it is widely believed that the luminal cells are unipotent after birth, contributing only to the luminal compartment in normal development. Here, by lineage tracing, we uncovered an unexpected potential of luminal cells that can give rise to basal cells during pregnancy. These luminal-derived basal cells (LdBCs) persisted through mammary regression and generated more progeny in successive rounds of pregnancies. LdBCs express basal markers as well as estrogen receptor α (ERα). In ovariectomized (OVX) mice, stimulation with estrogen and progesterone promoted the formation of LdBCs. In serial transplantation assays, LdBCs were able to reconstitute new mammary glands in a hormone-dependent manner. Transcriptome analysis and genetic experiments suggest that Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for the formation and maintenance of LdBCs. Our data uncover an unexpected bi-potency of luminal cells in a physiological context. The discovery of ERα+ basal cells, which can respond to hormones and are endowed with stem cell-like regenerative capacity in parous mammary gland, provides new insights into the association of hormones and breast cancer.
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Amphiregulin regulates proliferation and migration of HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2017; 41:159-168. [PMID: 29181633 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-017-0363-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Tumor initiation and progression rely on cellular proliferation and migration. Many factors are involved in these processes, including growth factors. Amphiregulin (AREG) is involved in normal mammary development and the development of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. The aim of this project was to determine if AREG is involved in the proliferation and progression of HER2-positive breast cancer. METHODS Mouse cell lines MMTV-neu, HC-11 and COMMA-D, as well as human cell lines MCF10A, SKBR3, HCC1954 and BT474 were used. Real-time PCR was used to quantify AREG expression and neutralizing antibodies were used to reduce the autocrine/paracrine effects of AREG. Transfections using siRNA and shRNA were used to knockdown AREG expression in the cancer cell lines. Free-floating sphere formation, colony forming, scratch wound and Transwell assays were used to assess the proliferation, tumor forming and migratory capacities of transfected cancer cells. RESULTS We found AREG expression in both normal epithelial cell lines and tumor-derived cell lines. Knockdown of AREG protein expression resulted in reduced sphere sizes and reduced sphere numbers in both mouse and human cancer cells that overexpress erbB2/HER2. AREG was found to be involved in cancer cell migration and invasion. In addition, we found that AREG expression knockdown resulted in different migration capacities in normal and erbB2/HER2 overexpressing cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS Based on our results we conclude that AREG is involved in regulating the proliferation and migration of erbB2/HER2-positive breast cancer cells.
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Subramani R, Lakshmanaswamy R. Pregnancy and Breast Cancer. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 151:81-111. [PMID: 29096898 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among women worldwide. The majority of breast cancers are sporadic and the etiology is not well understood. Several factors have been attributed to altering the risk of breast cancer. A full-term pregnancy is a crucial factor in altering the risk. Early full-term pregnancy has been shown to reduce the lifetime risk of breast cancer, while a later first full-term pregnancy increases breast cancer risk. Epidemiological and experimental data demonstrate that spontaneous or induced abortions do not significantly alter the risk of breast cancer. In this study, we briefly discuss the different types and stages of breast cancer, various risk factors, and potential mechanisms involved in early full-term pregnancy-induced protection against breast cancer. Understanding how early full-term pregnancy induces protection against breast cancer will help design innovative preventive and therapeutic strategies. This understanding can also help in the development of molecular biomarkers that can be of tremendous help in predicting the risk of breast cancer in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramadevi Subramani
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer Research, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Rajkumar Lakshmanaswamy
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer Research, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States.
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15
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Parodi DA, Greenfield M, Evans C, Chichura A, Alpaugh A, Williams J, Cyrus KC, Martin MB. Alteration of Mammary Gland Development and Gene Expression by In Utero Exposure to Cadmium. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E1939. [PMID: 28891935 PMCID: PMC5618588 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18091939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposure to estrogens and estrogen like contaminants during early development is thought to contribute to the risk of developing breast cancer primarily due to an early onset of puberty; however, exposure during key developing windows may also influence the risk of developing the disease. The goal of this study was to ask whether in utero exposure to the metalloestrogen cadmium alters mammary gland development due to acceleration of puberty onset or to an effect on early development of the mammary gland. The results show that, in addition to advancing the onset of puberty, in utero exposure to the metalloestrogen cadmium altered mammary gland development prior to its effect on puberty onset. In utero exposure resulted in an expansion of the number of mammosphere-forming cells in the neonatal mammary gland and an increase in branching, epithelial cells, and density in the prepubertal mammary gland. In the postpubertal mammary gland, there was a further expansion of the mammary stem/progenitor cell population and overexpression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) that was due to the overexpression and altered regulation of the ERα transcripts derived from exons O and OT in response to estradiol. These results suggest that in utero exposure to cadmium increases stem/progenitor cells, cell density, and expression of estrogen receptor-alpha that may contribute to the risk of developing breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela A Parodi
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - Morgan Greenfield
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - Claire Evans
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - Anna Chichura
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - Alexandra Alpaugh
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - James Williams
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - Kedra C Cyrus
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
| | - Mary Beth Martin
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
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16
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Krebsbach PH, Villa-Diaz LG. The Role of Integrin α6 (CD49f) in Stem Cells: More than a Conserved Biomarker. Stem Cells Dev 2017; 26:1090-1099. [PMID: 28494695 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2016.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells have the capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into specialized cells that form and repopulated all tissues and organs, from conception to adult life. Depending on their capacity for differentiation, stem cells are classified as totipotent (ie, zygote), pluripotent (ie, embryonic stem cells), multipotent (ie, neuronal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, epithelial stem cells, etc.), and unipotent (ie, spermatogonial stem cells). Adult or tissue-specific stem cells reside in specific niches located in, or nearby, their organ or tissue of origin. There, they have microenvironmental support to remain quiescent, to proliferate as undifferentiated cells (self-renewal), and to differentiate into progenitors or terminally differentiated cells that migrate from the niche to perform specialized functions. The presence of proteins at the cell surface is often used to identify, classify, and isolate stem cells. Among the diverse groups of cell surface proteins used for these purposes, integrin α6, also known as CD49f, may be the only biomarker commonly found in more than 30 different populations of stem cells, including some cancer stem cells. This broad expression among stem cell populations indicates that integrin α6 may play an important and conserved role in stem cell biology, which is reaffirmed by recent demonstrations of its role maintaining self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells and breast and glioblastoma cancer stem cells. Therefore, this review intends to highlight and synthesize new findings on the importance of integrin α6 in stem cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Krebsbach
- 1 School of Dentistry, University of California , Los Angeles, California
| | - Luis G Villa-Diaz
- 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University , Rochester, Michigan
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Schmucker HS, Park JP, Coissieux MM, Bentires-Alj M, Feltus FA, Booth BW. RNA Expression Profiling Reveals Differentially Regulated Growth Factor and Receptor Expression in Redirected Cancer Cells. Stem Cells Dev 2017; 26:646-655. [DOI: 10.1089/scd.2016.0340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah S. Schmucker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
| | - Jang Pyo Park
- Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
| | - Marie-May Coissieux
- Friedrich-Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Bentires-Alj
- Friedrich-Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - F. Alex Feltus
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
| | - Brian W. Booth
- Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
- Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
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18
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Kass EM, Lim PX, Helgadottir HR, Moynahan ME, Jasin M. Robust homology-directed repair within mouse mammary tissue is not specifically affected by Brca2 mutation. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13241. [PMID: 27779185 PMCID: PMC5093336 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammary gland undergoes significant proliferative stages after birth, but little is known about how the developmental changes impact DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Mutations in multiple genes involved in homology-directed repair (HDR), considered a particularly accurate pathway for repairing DSBs, are linked to breast cancer susceptibility, including BRCA2. Using reporter mice that express an inducible endonuclease, we find that HDR is particularly robust in mammary tissue during puberty and pregnancy, accounting for 34-40% of detected repair events, more than in other tissues examined. Brca2 hypomorphic mutation leads to HDR defects in mammary epithelium during puberty and pregnancy, including in different epithelial lineages. Notably, a similar dependence on Brca2 is observed in other proliferative tissues, including small intestine epithelium. Our results suggest that the greater reliance on HDR in the proliferating mammary gland, rather than a specific dependence on BRCA2, may increase its susceptibility to tumorigenesis incurred by BRCA2 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Kass
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Pei Xin Lim
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Hildur R Helgadottir
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Moynahan
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Maria Jasin
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
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19
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Tao L, van Bragt MPA, Li Z. A Long-Lived Luminal Subpopulation Enriched with Alveolar Progenitors Serves as Cellular Origin of Heterogeneous Mammary Tumors. Stem Cell Reports 2015; 5:60-74. [PMID: 26120057 PMCID: PMC4618443 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been shown that the mammary luminal lineage could be maintained by luminal stem cells or long-lived progenitors, but their identity and role in breast cancer remain largely elusive. By lineage analysis using Wap-Cre mice, we found that, in nulliparous females, mammary epithelial cells (MECs) genetically marked by Wap-Cre represented a subpopulation of CD61+ luminal progenitors independent of ovarian hormones for their maintenance. Using a pulse-chase lineage-tracing approach based on Wap-Cre adenovirus (Ad-Wap-Cre), we found that Ad-Wap-Cre-marked nulliparous MECs were enriched with CD61+ alveolar progenitors (APs) that gave rise to CD61- alveolar luminal cells during pregnancy/lactation and could maintain themselves long term. When transformed by different oncogenes, they could serve as cells of origin of heterogeneous mammary tumors. Thus, our study revealed a type of long-lived AP within the luminal lineage that may serve as the cellular origin of multiple breast cancer subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luwei Tao
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maaike P A van Bragt
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhe Li
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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20
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Arendt LM, Kuperwasser C. Form and function: how estrogen and progesterone regulate the mammary epithelial hierarchy. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2015; 20:9-25. [PMID: 26188694 PMCID: PMC4596764 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-015-9337-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammary gland undergoes dramatic post-natal growth beginning at puberty, followed by full development occurring during pregnancy and lactation. Following lactation, the alveoli undergo apoptosis, and the mammary gland reverses back to resemble the nonparous gland. This process of growth and regression occurs for multiple pregnancies, suggesting the presence of a hierarchy of stem and progenitor cells that are able to regenerate specialized populations of mammary epithelial cells. Expansion of epithelial cell populations in the mammary gland is regulated by ovarian steroids, in particular estrogen acting through its receptor estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and progesterone signaling through progesterone receptor (PR). A diverse number of stem and progenitor cells have been identified based on expression of cell surface markers and functional assays. Here we review the current understanding of how estrogen and progesterone act together and separately to regulate stem and progenitor cells within the human and mouse mammary tissues. Better understanding of the hierarchal organization of epithelial cell populations in the mammary gland and how the hormonal milieu affects its regulation may provide important insights into the origins of different subtypes of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Arendt
- Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology Department, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
- Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Laboratory for the Convergence of Biomedical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Charlotte Kuperwasser
- Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology Department, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
- Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Laboratory for the Convergence of Biomedical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
- Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington St, Box 5609, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
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21
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The origin of breast tumor heterogeneity. Oncogene 2015; 34:5309-16. [PMID: 25703331 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2014.475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
How breast diversity is generated is a fascinating and fundamental question with important clinical implications. It is clear that the diversity of phenotypes displayed by breast cancer cells reflects the array of cell types present in the disease-free breast epithelium, including luminal, basal and stem cells. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the molecular regulators governing normal development of the breast epithelium may double as engines of breast tumor diversity. In the past few years, a deepened understanding of the mammary epithelial hierarchy has prompted the search for the cellular precursors of breast tumors. At the same time, the use of novel experimental strategies including the new technology of massively parallel sequencing has provided insight into the origin and evolution of breast tumors. Here, we review the current understanding of the basis of the intrinsic subtypes and the sources of inter-tumor heterogeneity.
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22
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Lindley LE, Curtis KM, Sanchez-Mejias A, Rieger ME, Robbins DJ, Briegel KJ. The WNT-controlled transcriptional regulator LBH is required for mammary stem cell expansion and maintenance of the basal lineage. Development 2015; 142:893-904. [PMID: 25655704 DOI: 10.1242/dev.110403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The identification of multipotent mammary stem cells (MaSCs) has provided an explanation for the unique regenerative capacity of the mammary gland throughout adult life. However, it remains unclear what genes maintain MaSCs and control their specification into the two epithelial lineages: luminal and basal. LBH is a novel transcription co-factor in the WNT pathway with hitherto unknown physiological function. LBH is expressed during mammary gland development and aberrantly overexpressed in aggressive 'basal' subtype breast cancers. Here, we have explored the in vivo role of LBH in mammopoiesis. We show that in postnatal mammary epithelia, LBH is predominantly expressed in the Lin(-)CD29(high)CD24(+) basal MaSC population. Upon conditional inactivation of LBH, mice exhibit pronounced delays in mammary tissue expansion during puberty and pregnancy, accompanied by increased luminal differentiation at the expense of basal lineage specification. These defects could be traced to a severe reduction in the frequency and self-renewal/differentiation potential of basal MaSCs. Mechanistically, LBH induces expression of key epithelial stem cell transcription factor ΔNp63 to promote a basal MaSC state and repress luminal differentiation genes, mainly that encoding estrogen receptor α (Esr1/ERα). Collectively, these studies identify LBH as an essential regulator of basal MaSC expansion/maintenance, raising important implications for its potential role in breast cancer pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linsey E Lindley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Kevin M Curtis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Bruce W. Carter Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Avencia Sanchez-Mejias
- Department of Surgery, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Megan E Rieger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - David J Robbins
- Department of Surgery, Molecular Therapeutics Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Karoline J Briegel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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Yallowitz AR, Li D, Lobko A, Mott D, Nemajerova A, Marchenko N. Mutant p53 Amplifies Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Family Signaling to Promote Mammary Tumorigenesis. Mol Cancer Res 2015; 13:743-54. [PMID: 25573952 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-14-0360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The EGFR family (ErbB2/Her2 and EGFR/ErbB1/Her1) often modulates the transcriptional program involved in promoting mammary tumorigenesis. In humans, the majority of ErbB2-positive sporadic breast cancers harbor p53 mutations, which correlate with poor prognosis. Also, the extremely high incidence of ErbB2-positive breast cancer in women with p53 germline mutations (Li-Fraumeni syndrome) suggests a key role of mutant p53 specifically in ErbB2-mediated mammary tumorigenesis. To examine the role of mutant p53 during ErbB2-mediated mammary tumorigenesis, a mutant p53 allele (R172H) was introduced into the (MMTV)-ErbB2/Neu mouse model system. Interestingly, we show in heterozygous p53 mice that mutant p53 R172H is a more potent activator of ErbB2-mediated mammary tumorigenesis than simple loss of p53. The more aggressive disease in mutant p53 animals was reflected by earlier tumor onset, increased mammary tumor multiplicity, and shorter survival. These in vivo and in vitro data provide mechanistic evidence that mutant p53 amplifies ErbB2 and EGFR signaling to promote the expansion of mammary stem cells and induce cell proliferation. IMPLICATIONS This study identifies mutant p53 as an essential player in ErbB2 and EGFR-mediated mammary tumorigenesis and indicates the potential translational importance of targeting mutant p53 in this subset of patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha R Yallowitz
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Dun Li
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Anthony Lobko
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Daniel Mott
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Alice Nemajerova
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Natalia Marchenko
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
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Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide. This malignancy is a complex disease, which is defined by an intrinsic heterogeneity on the histopathological and molecular level as well as response to therapy and outcome. In addition to classical histopathological features, breast cancer can be categorized into at least five major subtypes based on comprehensive gene expression profiling: luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, ERBB2-positive, and normal-like breast cancer. Genetically engineered mouse models can serve as tools to study the molecular underpinnings for this disease. Given the genetic complexity that drives the initiation and progression of individual breast cancer subtypes, it is evident that certain models can reflect only particular aspects of this malignancy. In this book chapter, we will primarily focus on advances in modeling breast cancer at defined stages of carcinogenesis using genetically engineered mice. We will discuss the ability as well as shortcomings of these models to faithfully recapitulate the spectrum of human breast cancer subtypes.
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25
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Kaanta AS, Virtanen C, Selfors LM, Brugge JS, Neel BG. Evidence for a multipotent mammary progenitor with pregnancy-specific activity. Breast Cancer Res 2014; 15:R65. [PMID: 23947835 PMCID: PMC3979108 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The mouse mammary gland provides a powerful model system for studying processes involved in epithelial tissue development. Although markers that enrich for mammary stem cells and progenitors have been identified, our understanding of the mammary developmental hierarchy remains incomplete. Methods We used the MMTV promoter linked to the reverse tetracycline transactivator to induce H2BGFP expression in the mouse mammary gland. Mammary epithelial cells (MECs) from virgin mice were sorted by flow cytometry for expression of the mammary stem cell/progenitor markers CD24 and CD29, and H2BGFP. Sorted populations were analyzed for in vivo repopulation ability, expression of mammary lineage markers, and differential gene expression. Results The reconstituting activity of CD24+/CD29+ cells in cleared fat pad transplantation assays was not distinguished in GFP+ compared to GFP- subpopulations. However, within the CD24+/CD29lo luminal progenitor-enriched population, H2BGFP+, but not H2BGFP-, MECs formed mammary structures in transplantation assays; moreover, this activity was dramatically enhanced in pregnant recipients. These outgrowths contained luminal and myoepithelial mammary lineages and produced milk, but lacked the capacity for serial transplantation. Transcriptional microarray analysis revealed that H2BGFP+/CD24+/CD29lo MECs are distinct from H2BGFP-/CD24+/CD29lo MECs and enriched for gene expression signatures with both the stem cell (CD24+/CD29+) and luminal progenitor (CD24+/CD29lo/CD61+) compartments. Conclusions We have identified a population of MECs containing pregnancy-activated multipotent progenitors that are present in the virgin mammary gland and contribute to the expansion of the mammary gland during pregnancy.
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Integrin αvβ3 drives slug activation and stemness in the pregnant and neoplastic mammary gland. Dev Cell 2014; 30:295-308. [PMID: 25117682 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2013] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Although integrin αvβ3 is linked to cancer progression, its role in epithelial development is unclear. Here, we show that αvβ3 plays a critical role in adult mammary stem cells (MaSCs) during pregnancy. Whereas αvβ3 is a luminal progenitor marker in the virgin gland, we noted increased αvβ3 expression in MaSCs at midpregnancy. Accordingly, mice lacking αvβ3 or expressing a signaling-deficient receptor showed defective mammary gland morphogenesis during pregnancy. This was associated with decreased MaSC expansion, clonogenicity, and expression of Slug, a master regulator of MaSCs. Surprisingly, αvβ3-deficient mice displayed normal development of the virgin gland with no effect on luminal progenitors. Transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2) induced αvβ3 expression, enhancing Slug nuclear accumulation and MaSC clonogenicity. In human breast cancer cells, αvβ3 was necessary and sufficient for Slug activation, tumorsphere formation, and tumor initiation. Thus, pregnancy-associated MaSCs require a TGF-β2/αvβ3/Slug pathway, which may contribute to breast cancer progression and stemness.
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27
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The mammary cellular hierarchy and breast cancer. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:4301-24. [PMID: 25080108 PMCID: PMC4207940 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1674-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Advances in the study of hematopoietic cell maturation have paved the way to a deeper understanding the stem and progenitor cellular hierarchy in the mammary gland. The mammary epithelium, unlike the hematopoietic cellular hierarchy, sits in a complex niche where communication between epithelial cells and signals from the systemic hormonal milieu, as well as from extra-cellular matrix, influence cell fate decisions and contribute to tissue homeostasis. We review the discovery, definition and regulation of the mammary cellular hierarchy and we describe the development of the concepts that have guided our investigations. We outline recent advances in in vivo lineage tracing that is now challenging many of our assumptions regarding the behavior of mammary stem cells, and we show how understanding these cellular lineages has altered our view of breast cancer.
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Choudhary RK. Mammary stem cells: expansion and animal productivity. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2014; 5:36. [PMID: 25057352 PMCID: PMC4107933 DOI: 10.1186/2049-1891-5-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification and characterization of mammary stem cells and progenitor cells from dairy animals is important in the understanding of mammogenesis, tissue turnover, lactation persistency and regenerative therapy. It has been realized by many investigators that altered lactation, long dry periods (non-milking period between two consecutive lactation cycles), abrupt cessation of lactation (common in water buffaloes) and disease conditions like mastitis, greatly reduce milk yield thus render huge financial losses within the dairy sector. Cellular manipulation of specialized cell types within the mammary gland, called mammary stem cells (MaSCs)/progenitor cells, might provide potential solutions to these problems and may improve milk production. In addition, MaSCs/progenitor cells could be used in regenerative therapy against tissue damage caused by mastitis. This review discusses methods of MaSC/progenitor cell manipulation and their mechanisms in bovine and caprine animals. Author believes that intervention of MaSCs/progenitor cells could lessen the huge financial losses to the dairy industry globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratan K Choudhary
- School of Animal Biotechnology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141004, India
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Saenz FR, Ory V, AlOtaiby M, Rosenfield S, Furlong M, Cavalli LR, Johnson MD, Liu X, Schlegel R, Wellstein A, Riegel AT. Conditionally reprogrammed normal and transformed mouse mammary epithelial cells display a progenitor-cell-like phenotype. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97666. [PMID: 24831228 PMCID: PMC4022745 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammary epithelial (ME) cells cultured under conventional conditions senesce after several passages. Here, we demonstrate that mouse ME cells isolated from normal mammary glands or from mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-Neu–induced mammary tumors, can be cultured indefinitely as conditionally reprogrammed cells (CRCs) on irradiated fibroblasts in the presence of the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632. Cell surface progenitor-associated markers are rapidly induced in normal mouse ME-CRCs relative to ME cells. However, the expression of certain mammary progenitor subpopulations, such as CD49f+ ESA+ CD44+, drops significantly in later passages. Nevertheless, mouse ME-CRCs grown in a three-dimensional extracellular matrix gave rise to mammary acinar structures. ME-CRCs isolated from MMTV-Neu transgenic mouse mammary tumors express high levels of HER2/neu, as well as tumor-initiating cell markers, such as CD44+, CD49f+, and ESA+ (EpCam). These patterns of expression are sustained in later CRC passages. Early and late passage ME-CRCs from MMTV-Neu tumors that were implanted in the mammary fat pads of syngeneic or nude mice developed vascular tumors that metastasized within 6 weeks of transplantation. Importantly, the histopathology of these tumors was indistinguishable from that of the parental tumors that develop in the MMTV-Neu mice. Application of the CRC system to mouse mammary epithelial cells provides an attractive model system to study the genetics and phenotype of normal and transformed mouse epithelium in a defined culture environment and in vivo transplant studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco R. Saenz
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Virginie Ory
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Maram AlOtaiby
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Sonia Rosenfield
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Mary Furlong
- Department of Pathology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Luciane R. Cavalli
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Michael D. Johnson
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Xuefeng Liu
- Department of Pathology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Richard Schlegel
- Department of Pathology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Anton Wellstein
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Anna T. Riegel
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The stem/progenitor cells in the murine mammary gland are a highly dynamic population of cells that are responsible for ductal elongation in puberty, homeostasis maintenance in adult, and lobulo-alveolar genesis during pregnancy. In recent years understanding the epithelial cell hierarchy within the mammary gland is becoming particularly important as these different stem/progenitor cells were perceived to be the cells of origin for various subtypes of breast cancer. Although significant advances have been made in enrichment and isolation of stem/progenitor cells by combinations of antibodies against cell surface proteins together with flow cytometry, and in identification of stem/progenitor cells with multi-lineage differentiation and self-renewal using mammary fat pad reconstitution assay and in vivo genetic labeling technique, a clear understanding of how these different stem/progenitors are orchestrated in the mammary gland is still lacking. Here we discuss the different in vivo and in vitro methods currently available for stem/progenitor identification, their associated caveats, and a possible new hierarchy model to reconcile various putative stem/progenitor cell populations identified by different research groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoxiang Dong
- Department of Cellular & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78299, USA ; Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical University, University Town, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Lu-Zhe Sun
- Department of Cellular & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78299, USA ; Cancer Therapy and Research Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78299, USA
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Schmidt JW, Wehde BL, Sakamoto K, Triplett AA, West WW, Wagner KU. Novel transcripts from a distinct promoter that encode the full-length AKT1 in human breast cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:195. [PMID: 24628780 PMCID: PMC4068023 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The serine-threonine kinase AKT1 plays essential roles during normal mammary gland development as well as the initiation and progression of breast cancer. AKT1 is generally considered a ubiquitously expressed gene, and its persistent activation is transcriptionally controlled by regulatory elements characteristic of housekeeping gene promoters. We recently identified a novel Akt1 transcript in mice (Akt1m), which is induced by growth factors and their signal transducers of transcription from a previously unknown promoter. The purpose of this study was to examine whether normal and neoplastic human breast epithelial cells express an orthologous AKT1m transcript and whether its expression is deregulated in cancer cells. Methods Initial sequence analyses were performed using the UCSC Genome Browser and GenBank to assess the potential occurrence of an AKT1m transcript variant in human cells and to identify conserved promoter sequences that are orthologous to the murine Akt1m. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the transcriptional activation of AKT1m in mouse mammary tumors as well as 41 normal and neoplastic human breast epithelial cell lines and selected primary breast cancers. Results We identified four new AKT1 transcript variants in human breast cancer cells that are orthologous to the murine Akt1m and that encode the full-length kinase. These transcripts originate from an alternative promoter that is conserved between humans and mice. Akt1m is upregulated in the majority of luminal-type and basal-type mammary cancers in four different genetically engineered mouse models. Similarly, a subset of human breast cancer cell lines and primary breast cancers exhibited a higher expression of orthologous AKT1m transcripts. Conclusions The existence of an alternative promoter that drives the expression of the unique AKT1m transcript may provide a mechanism by which the levels of AKT1 can be temporally and spatially regulated at particular physiological states, such as cancer, where a heightened activity of this kinase is required.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Kay-Uwe Wagner
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, U,S,A.
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Haricharan S, Li Y. STAT signaling in mammary gland differentiation, cell survival and tumorigenesis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 382:560-569. [PMID: 23541951 PMCID: PMC3748257 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The mammary gland is a unique organ that undergoes extensive and profound changes during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, lactation and involution. The changes that take place during puberty involve large-scale proliferation and invasion of the fat-pad. During pregnancy and lactation, the mammary cells are exposed to signaling pathways that inhibit apoptosis, induce proliferation and invoke terminal differentiation. Finally, during involution the mammary gland is exposed to milk stasis, programmed cell death and stromal reorganization to clear the differentiated milk-producing cells. Not surprisingly, the signaling pathways responsible for bringing about these changes in breast cells are often subverted during the process of tumorigenesis. The STAT family of proteins is involved in every stage of mammary gland development, and is also frequently implicated in breast tumorigenesis. While the roles of STAT3 and STAT5 during mammary gland development and tumorigenesis are well studied, others members, e.g. STAT1 and STAT6, have only recently been observed to play a role in mammary gland biology. Continued investigation into the STAT protein network in the mammary gland will likely yield new biomarkers and risk factors for breast cancer, and may also lead to novel prophylactic or therapeutic strategies against breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Haricharan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Y Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Yallowitz AR, Alexandrova EM, Talos F, Xu S, Marchenko ND, Moll UM. p63 is a prosurvival factor in the adult mammary gland during post-lactational involution, affecting PI-MECs and ErbB2 tumorigenesis. Cell Death Differ 2014; 21:645-54. [PMID: 24440910 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2013.199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In embryogenesis, p63 is essential to develop mammary glands. In the adult mammary gland, p63 is highly expressed in the basal cell layer that comprises myoepithelial and interspersed stem/progenitor cells, and has limited expression in luminal epithelial cells. In adult skin, p63 has a crucial role in the maintenance of epithelial stem cells. However, it is unclear whether p63 also has an equivalent role as a stem/progenitor cell factor in adult mammary epithelium. We show that p63 is essential in vivo for the survival and maintenance of parity-identified mammary epithelial cells (PI-MECs), a pregnancy-induced heterogeneous population that survives post-lactational involution and contain multipotent progenitors that give rise to alveoli and ducts in subsequent pregnancies. p63+/- glands are normal in virgin, pregnant and lactating states. Importantly, however, during the apoptotic phase of post-lactational involution p63+/- glands show a threefold increase in epithelial cell death, concomitant with increased activation of the oncostatin M/Stat3 and p53 pro-apoptotic pathways, which are responsible for this phase. Thus, p63 is a physiologic antagonist of these pathways specifically in this regressive stage. After the restructuring phase when involution is complete, mammary glands of p63+/- mice again exhibit normal epithelial architecture by conventional histology. However, using Rosa(LSL-LacZ);WAP-Cre transgenics (LSL-LacZ, lox-stop-lox β-galactosidase), a genetic in vivo labeling system for PI-MECs, we find that p63+/- glands have a 30% reduction in the number of PI-MEC progenitors and their derivatives. Importantly, PI-MECs are also cellular targets of pregnancy-promoted ErbB2 tumorigenesis. Consistent with their PI-MEC pool reduction, one-time pregnant p63+/- ErbB2 mice are partially protected from breast tumorigenesis, exhibiting extended tumor-free and overall survival, and reduced tumor multiplicity compared with their p63+/+ ErbB2 littermates. Conversely, in virgin ErbB2 mice p63 heterozygosity provides no survival advantage. In sum, our data establish that p63 is an important survival factor for pregnancy-identified PI-MEC progenitors in breast tissue in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Yallowitz
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - E M Alexandrova
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - F Talos
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - S Xu
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - N D Marchenko
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - U M Moll
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Chang THT, Kunasegaran K, Tarulli GA, De Silva D, Voorhoeve PM, Pietersen AM. New insights into lineage restriction of mammary gland epithelium using parity-identified mammary epithelial cells. Breast Cancer Res 2014; 16:R1. [PMID: 24398145 PMCID: PMC3978646 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Parity-identified mammary epithelial cells (PI-MECs) are an interesting cellular subset because they survive involution and are a presumptive target for transformation by human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu in mammary tumors. Depending on the type of assay, PI-MECs have been designated lobule-restricted progenitors or multipotent stem/progenitor cells. PI-MECs were reported to be part of the basal population of mammary epithelium based on flow cytometry. We investigated the cellular identity and lineage potential of PI-MECs in intact mammary glands. Methods We performed a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the contribution of PI-MECs to mammary epithelial cell lineages in pregnant and involuted mammary glands by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence-activated cells sorting (FACS), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. PI-MECs were labeled by the activation of Whey Acidic Protein (WAP)-Cre during pregnancy that results in permanent expression of yellow fluorescent protein. Results After involution, PI-MECs are present exclusively in the luminal layer of mammary ducts. During pregnancy, PI-MECs contribute to the luminal layer but not the basal layer of alveolar lobules. Strikingly, whereas all luminal estrogen receptor (ER)-negative cells in an alveolus can be derived from PI-MECs, the alveolar ER-positive cells are unlabeled and reminiscent of Notch2-traced L cells. Notably, we observed a significant population of unlabeled alveolar progenitors that resemble PI-MECs based on transcriptional and histological analysis. Conclusions Our demonstration that PI-MECs are luminal cells underscores that not only basal cells display multi-lineage potential in transplantation assays. However, the lineage potential of PI-MECs in unperturbed mammary glands is remarkably restricted to luminal ER-negative cells of the secretory alveolar lineage. The identification of an unlabeled but functionally similar population of luminal alveolar progenitor cells raises the question of whether PI-MECs are a unique population or the result of stochastic labeling. Interestingly, even when all luminal ER-negative cells of an alveolus are PI-MEC-derived, the basal cells and hormone-sensing cells are derived from a different source, indicating that cooperative outgrowth of cells from different lineages is common in alveologenesis.
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Ling H, Sylvestre JR, Jolicoeur P. Cyclin D1-dependent induction of luminal inflammatory breast tumors by activated notch3. Cancer Res 2013; 73:5963-73. [PMID: 23928992 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-13-0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that Notch3 (N3) is involved in breast cancer development, but its precise contributions are not well understood. Here, we report that pregnant mice expressing an activated intracellular form of N3 (N3(IC)) exhibit a cyclin D1-dependent expansion of premalignant CD24(+) CD29(low) luminal progenitors with enhanced differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo. Parous mice developed luminal mammary tumors in a cyclin D1-dependent manner. Notably, mice expressing higher levels of N3(IC) exhibited tumors resembling inflammatory breast cancer that frequently metastasized. N3(IC)-induced tumors contained a large percentage of tumor-initiating cells, but these were reduced significantly in tumors derived from N3(IC) transgenic mice that were heterozygous for cyclin D1. After transplantation in the presence of normal mammary cells, N3(IC)-expressing tumor cells became less malignant, differentiating into CK6(+) CK18(+) CK5(-) alveolar-like structures akin to expanded luminal progenitors from which they were likely derived. Taken together, our results argue that activated N3 signaling primarily affects luminal progenitors among mammary cell subsets, with more pronounced levels of activation influencing tumor type, and provide a novel model of inflammatory breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ling
- Authors' Affiliations: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal; Department of Microbiology and Immunology Université de Montréal; and Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Zhang W, Tan W, Wu X, Poustovoitov M, Strasner A, Li W, Borcherding N, Ghassemian M, Karin M. A NIK-IKKα module expands ErbB2-induced tumor-initiating cells by stimulating nuclear export of p27/Kip1. Cancer Cell 2013; 23:647-59. [PMID: 23602409 PMCID: PMC3981467 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2013.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2012] [Revised: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
IκB kinase α (IKKα) activity is required for ErbB2-induced mammary tumorigenesis. Here, we show that IKKα and its activator, NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK), support the expansion of tumor-initiating cells (TICs) that copurify with a CD24(med)CD49f(hi) population from premalignant ErbB2-expressing mammary glands. Upon activation, IKKα enters the nucleus, phosphorylates the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p27/Kip1, and stimulates its nuclear export or exclusion. Reduced p27 expression rescues mammary tumorigenesis in mice deficient in IKKα kinase activity and restores TIC self-renewal. IKKα is also likely to be involved in human breast cancer, where its expression shows an inverse correlation with metastasis-free survival, and its presence in the nucleus of invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) is associated with decreased nuclear p27 abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhou Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Wei Tan
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
| | - Xuefeng Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
| | - Maxim Poustovoitov
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
| | - Amy Strasner
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
| | - Nicholas Borcherding
- Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Majid Ghassemian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
| | - Michael Karin
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
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Staniszewska AD, Pensa S, Caffarel MM, Anderson LH, Poli V, Watson CJ. Stat3 is required to maintain the full differentiation potential of mammary stem cells and the proliferative potential of mammary luminal progenitors. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52608. [PMID: 23285109 PMCID: PMC3527594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stat3 has a defined role in mammary gland where it is a critical mediator of cell death during post-lactational regression. On the other hand, Stat3 is required for the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells and is sufficient for the induction of a naïve pluripotent state in epiblast stem cells. Mammary stem cells (MaSCs) have a high capacity for self-renewal and can grow robustly in transplantation experiments in vivo. However, a role for Stat3 in MaSCs has not been investigated. Here we show that depletion of Stat3 from basal cells results in reduced primary transplantation efficiency and diminishes the potential to generate ductal, but not alveolar, outgrowths. In addition, Stat3 is required for maximal proliferation of luminal progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Maria M. Caffarel
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa H. Anderson
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Valeria Poli
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Christine J. Watson
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Mammary gland stem cells (MaSC) have not been identified in spite of extensive research spanning over several decades. This has been primarily due to the complexity of mammary gland structure and its development, cell heterogeneity in the mammary gland and the insufficient knowledge about MaSC markers. At present, Lin (-) CD29 (i) CD49f (i) CD24 (+/mod) Sca- 1 (-) cells of the mammary gland have been reported to be enriched with MaSCs. We suggest that the inclusion of stem cell markers like Oct4, Sox2, Nanog and the mammary gland differentiation marker BRCA-1 may further narrow down the search for MaSCs. In addition, we have discussed some of the other unresolved puzzles on the mammary gland stem cells, such as their similarities and/or differences with mammary cancer stem cells, use of milk as source of mammary stem cells and the possibility of in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells into functional mammary gland structures in this review. Nevertheless, it is the lack of identity for a MaSC that is curtailing the advances in some of the above and other related areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suneesh Kaimala
- CSIR - Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500 007, India
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Cancer stem cells and cells of origin in MMTV-Her2/neu-induced mammary tumorigenesis. Oncogene 2012; 32:1338-40. [DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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40
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Wagner KU, Booth BW, Boulanger CA, Smith GH. Multipotent PI-MECs are the true targets of MMTV-neu tumorigenesis. Oncogene 2012; 32:1338. [PMID: 23045277 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Sakamoto K, Schmidt JW, Wagner KU. Generation of a novel MMTV-tTA transgenic mouse strain for the targeted expression of genes in the embryonic and postnatal mammary gland. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43778. [PMID: 22952764 PMCID: PMC3432039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We have generated a new and improved transgenic mouse strain that permits a temporally controlled expression of transgenes throughout mammary gland development. High expression of the tetracycline-regulatible transactivator (tTA) under control of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat (MMTV-LTR) is restricted to mammary epithelial cells and the salivary gland. The novel MMTV-tTA mouse strain induces a sustained transactivation of responder transgenes, which can be swiftly suppressed through administration of doxycycline (Dox). An important characteristic of this strain is its expression in early progenitor cells of mammary gland anlagen beginning at day 13.5 of embryonic development. We show here that the MMTV-tTA can be used in combination with GFP reporter strains to visualize CK8/CK14-dual positive progenitors in newborn females and their derived basal and luminal epithelial cell lineages in adult females. Our observations suggest that the novel MMTV-tTA can be utilized to express exogenous proteins in multipotent mammary progenitors during the earliest stages of mammary gland development to assess their biological significance throughout mammogenesis. Moreover, we demonstrate that the expression of the MMTV-tTA is sustained during mammary gland tumorigenesis in female mice expressing wildtype ErbB2. This makes this strain particular valuable to target the expression of exogenous proteins into developing mammary tumors to assess their significance in biological processes, such as tumor cell growth and survival, metabolism, and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhito Sakamoto
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KS); (KUW)
| | - Jeffrey W. Schmidt
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Kay-Uwe Wagner
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KS); (KUW)
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Bruno RD, Smith GH. Reprogramming non-mammary and cancer cells in the developing mouse mammary gland. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2012; 23:591-8. [PMID: 22430755 PMCID: PMC3381053 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2012.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2011] [Revised: 02/28/2012] [Accepted: 03/02/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The capacity of any portion of the murine mammary gland to produce a complete functional mammary outgrowth upon transplantation to an epithelium-divested fat pad is unaffected by the age or reproductive history of the donor. Likewise, through serial transplantations, no loss of potency is detected when compared to similar transplantations of the youngest mammary tissue tested. This demonstrates that stem cell activity is maintained intact throughout the lifetime of the animal despite aging and the repeated expansion and depletion of the mammary epithelium through multiple rounds of pregnancy, lactation and involution. These facts support the contention that mammary stem cells reside in protected tissue locales (niches), where their reproductive potency remains essentially unchanged through life. Disruption of the tissue, to produce dispersed cells results in the desecration of the protection afforded by the "niche" and leads to a reduced capacity of dispersed epithelial cells (in terms of the number transplanted) to recapitulate complete functional mammary structures. Our studies demonstrate that during the reformation of mammary stem cell niches by dispersed epithelial cells in the context of the intact epithelium-free mammary stroma, non-mammary cells, including mouse and human cancer cells, may be sequestered and reprogrammed to perform mammary epithelial cell functions including those ascribed to mammary stem/progenitor cells.
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Joshi PA, Di Grappa MA, Khokha R. Active allies: hormones, stem cells and the niche in adult mammopoiesis. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2012; 23:299-309. [PMID: 22613704 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Adult stem cells are recruited in response to specific physiological demands to regenerate, repair or maintain essential cellular components of tissues, while preserving self-renewal capacity. Signals that activate adult stem cells are not simply cell autonomous and stem cells are part of a larger dynamic framework, the stem cell 'niche', which integrates systemic and local cues to sustain stem cell functionality. The mammary stem cell niche responds readily to hormonal stimuli, generating pertinent signals that activate stem cells, culminating in stem cell expansion and tissue growth. We review here current knowledge of the mammary stem cell niche with attention to the potent stimulation rendered by ovarian hormones, relevant cellular and molecular players, and the implication of a deregulated niche, for breast cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purna A Joshi
- Ontario Cancer Insitute, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada
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44
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Cell hierarchy and lineage commitment in the bovine mammary gland. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30113. [PMID: 22253899 PMCID: PMC3258259 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/09/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The bovine mammary gland is a favorable organ for studying mammary cell hierarchy due to its robust milk-production capabilities that reflect the adaptation of its cell populations to extensive expansion and differentiation. It also shares basic characteristics with the human breast, and identification of its cell composition may broaden our understanding of the diversity in cell hierarchy among mammals. Here, Lin− epithelial cells were sorted according to expression of CD24 and CD49f into four populations: CD24medCD49fpos (putative stem cells, puStm), CD24negCD49fpos (Basal), CD24highCD49fneg (putative progenitors, puPgt) and CD24medCD49fneg (luminal, Lum). These populations maintained differential gene expression of lineage markers and markers of stem cells and luminal progenitors. Of note was the high expression of Stat5a in the puPgt cells, and of Notch1, Delta1, Jagged1 and Hey1 in the puStm and Basal populations. Cultured puStm and Basal cells formed lineage-restricted basal or luminal clones and after re-sorting, colonies that preserved a duct-like alignment of epithelial layers. In contrast, puPgt and Lum cells generated only luminal clones and unorganized colonies. Under non-adherent culture conditions, the puPgt and puStm populations generated significantly more floating colonies. The increase in cell number during culture provides a measure of propagation potential, which was highest for the puStm cells. Taken together, these analyses position puStm cells at the top of the cell hierarchy and denote the presence of both bi-potent and luminally restricted progenitors. In addition, a population of differentiated luminal cells was marked. Finally, combining ALDH activity with cell-surface marker analyses defined a small subpopulation that is potentially stem cell- enriched.
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Zhang Q, Sakamoto K, Liu C, Triplett AA, Lin WC, Rui H, Wagner KU. Cyclin D3 compensates for the loss of cyclin D1 during ErbB2-induced mammary tumor initiation and progression. Cancer Res 2011; 71:7513-24. [PMID: 22037875 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-1783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cyclin D1 regulates cell proliferation and is a candidate molecular target for breast cancer therapy. This study addresses whether Cyclin D1 is indispensable for ErbB2-associated mammary tumor initiation and progression using a breast cancer model in which this cell-cycle regulator can be genetically ablated prior to or after neoplastic transformation. Deficiency in Cyclin D1 delayed tumor onset but did not prevent the occurrence of mammary cancer in mice overexpressing wild-type ErbB2. The lack of Cyclin D1 was associated with a compensatory upregulation of Cyclin D3, which explains why the targeted downregulation of Cyclin D1 in established mammary tumors had no effect on cancer cell proliferation. Cyclin D1 and D3 are overexpressed in human breast cancer cell lines and primary invasive breast cancers, and Cyclin D3 frequently exceeded the expression of Cyclin D1 in ErbB2-positive cases. The simultaneous inhibition of both cyclins in mammary tumor cells reduced cancer cell proliferation in vitro and decreased the tumor burden in vivo. Collectively, the results of this study suggest that only the combined inhibition of Cyclin D1 and D3 might be a suitable strategy for breast cancer prevention and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, USA
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46
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Boulanger CA, Bruno RD, Rosu-Myles M, Smith GH. The mouse mammary microenvironment redirects mesoderm-derived bone marrow cells to a mammary epithelial progenitor cell fate. Stem Cells Dev 2011; 21:948-54. [PMID: 21649558 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2011.0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammary stem cells reside in protected tissue locales (niches), where their reproductive potency remains essentially unchanged through life. Disruption of the tissue leads to a reduced capacity of dispersed epithelial cells to recapitulate complete functional mammary structures. Previous studies demonstrate that during the reformation of mammary stem cell niches by dispersed epithelial cells in the mammary stroma, nonmammary cells of ectodermal germ origin may be sequestered and reprogrammed to perform mammary epithelial cell (MEC) functions, including those ascribed to mammary stem/progenitor cells. To test whether tissue cells from organs derived from different germ layers could respond to mammary epithelial-specific signals, we utilized fluorescence-activated cell sorting-purified Lin(-) and Lin(-)/cKit+adult male bone marrow cells to mix with MECs. Our evidence shows that the signals provided by the mammary microenvironment are capable of redirecting mesoderm-derived adult progenitor cells to produce functional MEC progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne A Boulanger
- Mammary Biology and Tumorigenesis Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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47
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Notch-induced mammary tumorigenesis does not involve the lobule-limited epithelial progenitor. Oncogene 2011; 31:60-7. [PMID: 21666720 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2011.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The mouse mammary epithelial cell hierarchy contains both multipotent stem cell as well as lineage-limited duct and lobular progenitor cell functions. The latter-also termed parity-identified mammary epithelial cells (PI-MECs)-are marked by beta-galactosidase (β Gal) expression following pregnancy and involution in whey acidic protein promoter (WAP)-Cre/Rosa26-flox-stop-flox-lacZ (WC/R26) mice, and are the targets of tumorigenic transformation in mouse mammary tumor virus-erbB2 transgenic mice. In this study, we demonstrate that an epithelial population distinct from PI-MECs is transformed during WAP-Int3 tumorigenesis. As expected, WAP-Int3/WC/R26 triple-transgenic mice failed to undergo secretory alveolar development, failed to lactate and developed mammary tumors. Following pregnancy and involution, β Gal+ mammary epithelial cells were found in the normal mammary tissue, but the resulting mammary tumors were all β Gal-. WAP-Int3/WC/R26 mammary glands contained ample estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)+ MECs, but only rare (<1%) progesterone receptor (PR)+ and RANKL+ cells. In addition, dissociated MECs from WAP-Int3/WC/R26 glands failed to regenerate a mammary tree upon transplantation into a cleared fat-pad of a nu/nu recipient mouse. However, when mixed with normal MECs, PI-MECs from WAP-Int3/WC/R26 mice contributed progeny to the resulting functional outgrowth. The WAP-Int3/WC/R26-derived PI-MECs displayed all of the properties of fully functional lobular progenitors including giving rise to ERα+, PR+, smooth muscle actin+ and RANKL+ epithelial progeny. These results demonstrate that WAP-Int3 has no oncogenic effect upon PI-MECs and that the expansion of functional lobular progenitors is required for secretory alveolar development and lactation. Furthermore, lobular progenitor function is ultimately controlled by signals within its microenvironment.
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48
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Abstract
Any portion of the mouse mammary gland is capable of recapitulating a clonally derived complete and functional mammary tree upon transplantation into an epithelial divested mammary fat-pad of a recipient host. As such, it is an ideal model tissue for the study somatic stem cell function. This review will outline what is known regarding the function of stem/progenitor cells in the mouse mammary gland, including how progenitor populations can be functionally defined, the evidence for and potential role of selective DNA strand segregation, and the role of the niche in maintaining and controlling stem cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D. Bruno
- Mammary Biology and Tumorigenesis Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, 37 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gilbert H. Smith
- Mammary Biology and Tumorigenesis Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, 37 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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The mammary gland microenvironment directs progenitor cell fate in vivo. Int J Cell Biol 2011; 2011:451676. [PMID: 21647291 PMCID: PMC3103901 DOI: 10.1155/2011/451676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammary gland is a unique organ that continually undergoes postnatal developmental changes. In mice, the mammary gland is formed via signals from terminal end buds, which direct ductal growth and elongation. Intriguingly, it is likely that the entire cellular repertoire of the mammary gland is formed from a single antecedent cell. Furthermore, in order to produce progeny of varied lineages (e.g., luminal and myoepithelial cells), signals from the local tissue microenvironment influence mammary stem/progenitor cell fate. Data have shown that cells from the mammary gland microenvironment reprogram adult somatic cells from other organs (testes, nerve) into cells that produce milk and express mammary epithelial cell proteins. Similar results were found for human tumorigenic epithelial carcinoma cells. Presently, it is unclear how the deterministic power of the mammary gland microenvironment controls epithelial cell fate. Regardless, signals generated by the microenvironment have a profound influence on progenitor cell differentiation in vivo.
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50
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Asselin-Labat ML, Lindeman GJ, Visvader JE. Mammary stem cells and their regulation by steroid hormones. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2011; 6:371-381. [PMID: 30754117 DOI: 10.1586/eem.11.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Sustained exposure to estrogen and progesterone is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer. These hormones play a central role in the female reproductive cycle, in which they control morphogenesis of the mammary gland during puberty, ovulatory cycles and pregnancy. Mouse mammary stem cells (MaSCs) have recently been discovered to be highly responsive to female hormones, despite lacking expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptors. The inhibition of MaSCs by hormone receptor antagonists further suggests that these cells contribute to oncogenesis. Identification of paracrine mediators of hormone signaling to MaSCs may lead to the development of novel inhibitors that drive MaSCs into a more quiescent state. In this context, inhibition of the receptor activator of NF-κB/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand signaling pathway has profound implications for the prevention of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Liesse Asselin-Labat
- a Stem Cells and Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- b Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Lindeman
- a Stem Cells and Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- c Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3050, Australia
- d Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jane E Visvader
- a Stem Cells and Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- b Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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