Browsing by keyword "Receptor, erbB-2"
Now showing items 1-5 of 5
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Analysis of integrin beta4 expression in human breast cancer: association with basal-like tumors and prognostic significancePURPOSE: The beta4 integrin has been implicated in functions associated with the genesis and progression of carcinomas based on data obtained from cell lines and mouse models. Data on its expression and relevance to human carcinomas, however, are relatively scant. The aim of this study was to assess its expression and prognostic significance in human breast carcinomas. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We integrated data on beta4 expression from multiple gene profiling studies of breast tumors of known clinical outcome with immunohistochemical analysis of 105 breast carcinomas, and we identified genes whose expression correlates with that of beta4. RESULTS: The expression of both beta4 mRNA and protein is not homogeneous in breast cancer and it associates most significantly with the "basal-like" subtype of breast tumors (P = 0.008). No association between beta4 and HER2 expression was evident from either gene profiling or immunohistochemical analysis. To gain insight into the relevance of beta4 expression to human breast carcinomas, we generated a 65-gene "beta4 signature" based on integration of four published gene profiling studies that included the top 0.1% of genes that correlated with beta4, either positively or negatively. This beta4 signature predicted decreased time to tumor recurrence and survival of patients when applied to four data sets including two independent ones. CONCLUSIONS: These observations indicate that beta4 expression in human breast cancer is restricted and associated with basal-like cancers, and they support the hypothesis that beta4 may function in concert with a discrete set of proteins to facilitate the aggressive behavior of a subset of tumors.
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Cooperative signaling between alpha(6)beta(4) integrin and ErbB-2 receptor is required to promote phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent invasionWe previously demonstrated that beta(4) integrin subunit overexpression increases in vitro invasiveness of NIH3T3 cells that have been transformed by ErbB-2 oncogene. We used this model to identify domains within the large beta(4) cytoplasmic domain that are involved in the interaction of alpha(6)beta(4) with ErbB-2, invasion, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation. For this purpose, we expressed deletion mutants of beta(4) that lacked either all or portions of the beta(4) cytoplasmic domain in NIH3T3/ErbB-2 cells. We also used an ecto-domain mutant in which most of the extracellular domain of beta(4) was replaced with a c-Myc tag. These transfectants were examined for their ability to invade Matrigel and their ability to activate PI3K, as well as for the ability of alpha(6)beta(4) to co-immunoprecipitate with ErbB-2. The results obtained revealed that a region of the beta(4) cytoplasmic domain between amino acids 854 and 1183 is critical for the ability of alpha(6)beta(4) integrin to increase invasion. Interestingly, the extracellular domain of beta(4) is not necessary for alpha(6)beta(4) to stimulate invasion. The association of alpha(6)beta(4) with ErbB-2 is dependent upon the beta(4) cytoplasmic domain and can occur in the absence of alpha(6)beta(4) heterodimerization. Finally, we observed strong activation of PI3K with beta(4) wild type and with those beta(4) deletion mutants that were able to stimulate invasion upon the expression in NIH3T3/ErbB-2 cells. In conclusion, our results establish that there is cooperation between alpha(6)beta(4) and ErbB-2 in promoting PI3K-dependent invasion and implicate a specific region of the beta(4) cytoplasmic domain (amino acids 854-1183) in this event.
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Increased oncogenic potential of ErbB is associated with the loss of a COOH-terminal domain serine phosphorylation siteThe erbB oncogene encodes an altered form of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor that lacks the extracellular ligand binding domain. This oncogene is exclusively leukemogenic. However, an increase in oncogenic potential and a broadening of the tissue specificity of tumor formation occurs after retroviral transduction of erbB. The increased oncogenic potential correlates with structural alterations within the erbB gene. One common event is the deletion of a serine phosphorylation site located within the COOH-terminal domain. This site of phosphorylation has been demonstrated to be required for EGF-induced desensitization of signaling by the EGF receptor (Countaway, J. L., Nairn, A. C., and Davis, R.J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 1129-1140). Here we show that the mutation of erbB at this negative regulatory serine phosphorylation site causes fibroblast transformation in vitro and is associated with an increased oncogenic potential in vivo.
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Positive association between nuclear Runx2 and oestrogen-progesterone receptor gene expression characterises a biological subtype of breast cancerPURPOSE: The runt-related transcription factor, Runx2 may have an oncogenic role in mediating metastatic events in breast cancer, but whether Runx2 has a role in the early phases of breast cancer development is not clear. We examined the expression of Runx2 and its relationship with oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in breast cancer cell lines and tissues. METHODS: Two human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were transiently transfected with vectors expressing either Runx2 or ER and the levels of both proteins and mRNA were examined by Western blot analysis and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. Runx2 expression was also examined in tissue microarray sections of 123 breast cancer patients by immunohistochemistry and results were correlated with clinico-pathological characteristics. RESULTS: Expression of Runx2 and ER was reciprocal in the breast cell culture models and Runx2 suppressed ERbeta but not ERalpha mRNA levels. In contrast, functional expression of Runx2 was evident in the nucleus in 28% of the breast cancer tissues and in both early and late stages of tumour growth. Importantly, Runx2 expression was significantly more frequent in Grade 2 compared to Grade 1 and Grade 3 tumours (48% versus 39% versus 13%) and the expression was significantly associated with ER (p=0.005), PR (p=0.008) expressions in Grade 2 and Grade 3 tumours than Grade 1 tumours. CONCLUSION: We propose that Runx2, ER and PR triple positivity in Grades 2 and 3 defines a biological subtype in breast cancer.
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The alpha6beta4 integrin can regulate ErbB-3 expression: implications for alpha6beta4 signaling and functionThe integrin alpha(6)beta(4) has been shown to facilitate key functions of carcinoma cells, including their ability to migrate, invade, and evade apoptosis. The mechanism involved seems to be a profound effect of alpha(6)beta(4) on specific signaling pathways, especially the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. An intimate relationship between alpha(6)beta(4) and growth factor receptors may explain this effect of alpha(6)beta(4) on signaling. Previously, we showed that alpha(6)beta(4) and ErbB-2 can function synergistically to activate the PI3K/Akt pathway. Given that ErbB-2 can activate PI3K only when it heterodimerizes with other members of the epidermal growth factor receptor family, these data imply that other receptors cooperate in this process. Here, we report that alpha(6)beta(4) can regulate the expression of ErbB-3 using several different models and that the consequent formation of an ErbB-2/ErbB-3 heterodimer promotes the alpha(6)beta(4)-dependent activation of PI3K/Akt and the ability of this integrin to impede apoptosis of carcinoma cells. Our data also support the hypothesis that alpha(6)beta(4) can regulate ErbB-3 expression at the translational level as evidenced by the findings that alpha(6)beta(4) does not increase ErbB-3 mRNA significantly, and that this regulation is both rapamycin sensitive and dependent on eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E. These findings provide one mechanism to account for the activation of PI3K by alpha(6)beta(4) and they also provide insight into the regulation of ErbB-3 in carcinoma cells.