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Query: UMLS:C0006142 (breast cancer)
 160,383 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors (EGFRs) and signaling pathways activated by these receptors have been associated with development of breast cancer as well as its resistance to treatment with cytotoxic drugs. This review describes the current understanding of EGFRs and their downstream signaling pathways. Emphasis is placed upon Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/PDK1/Akt signaling pathways and their relationship to regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Also discussed is the relationship between these signaling pathways and response of breast cancer to chemotherapeutic treatment. An appreciation of how these signaling pathways relate to development of breast cancer and its response to chemotherapy may lead to improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease.
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PMID:EGFR family signaling and its association with breast cancer development and resistance to chemotherapy (Review). 1252 19

The development of acquired resistance to antihormonal agents in breast cancer is a major therapeutic problem. We have developed a tamoxifen-resistant (TAM-R) MCF-7 breast cancer cell line to investigate the mechanisms behind this condition. Both epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB2 mRNA and protein expression were increased in TAM-R compared with wild-type MCF-7 cells, whereas comparable levels of c-erbB3 mRNA and protein were expressed in both cell lines. Under basal conditions, phosphorylated EGFR/c-erbB2, EGFR/c-erbB3 but not c-erbB2/c-erbB3 receptor heterodimers were detected in TAM-R cells in association with increased levels of phosphorylated extracellular-signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Both cell lines were capable of generating a range of EGFR-specific ligands and increased expression of transforming growth factor alpha was observed in TAM-R cells. Treatment of TAM-R cells with ZD1839 (Iressa) or trastuzumab (Herceptin) blocked c-erbB receptor heterodimer formation and phosphorylation, reduced ERK1/2 activity, and strongly inhibited cell growth. The MAPK kinase inhibitor PD098059 specifically reduced phosphorylated ERK1/2 levels and inhibited TAM-R growth. All three agents abolished ERK1/2 activity in wild-type cells but caused only small reductions in cell proliferation. These results demonstrate that TAM-R MCF-7 cell growth is mediated by the autocrine release and action of an EGFR-specific ligand inducing preferential EGFR/c-erbB2 dimerization and downstream activation of the ERK pathway.
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PMID:Elevated levels of epidermal growth factor receptor/c-erbB2 heterodimers mediate an autocrine growth regulatory pathway in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells. 1258 80

Estrogen receptors (ER) have been localized to the cell plasma membrane (PM), where signal transduction mediates some estradiol (E2) actions. However, the precise structural features of ER that result in membrane localization have not been determined. We obtained a partial tryptic peptide/mass spectrometry analysis of membrane mouse ERalpha protein. Based on this, we substituted alanine for the determined serine at amino acid 522 within the E domain of wild-type (wt) ERalpha. Upon transfection in CHO cells, the S522A mutant ERalpha resulted in a 62% decrease in membrane receptor number and reduced colocalization with caveolin 1 relative to those with expression of wt ERalpha. E2 was significantly less effective in stimulating multiple rapid signals from the membranes of CHO cells expressing ERalpha S522A than from those of CHO cells expressing wt ERalpha. In contrast, nuclear receptor expression and transcriptional function were very similar. The S522A mutant was also 60% less effective than wt ERalpha in binding caveolin 1, which facilitates ER transport to the PM. All functions of ERalpha mutants with other S-to-A substitutions were comparable to those of wt ER, and deletion of the A/B or C domain had little consequence for membrane localization or function. Transfection of ERalpha S522A into breast cancer cells that express native ER downregulated E2 binding at the membrane, signaling to ERK, and G1/S cell cycle events and progression. However, there was no effect on the E2 transactivation of an ERE-luciferase reporter. In summary, serine 522 is necessary for the efficient translocation and function of ERalpha at the PM. The S522A mutant also serves as a dominant-negative construct, identifying important functions of E2 that originate from activating PM ER.
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PMID:Identification of a structural determinant necessary for the localization and function of estrogen receptor alpha at the plasma membrane. 1258 83

Overproduction of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHRP) occurs in a high proportion of primary breast cancers (PBC) and is strongly implicated in their metastatic spread to bone. Although the PTHRP-receptor (PTHRP-R) is often coexpressed with PTHRP in PBC, its role in regulating breast cancer cell proliferation and metastases to bone remains unclear. The aims of this study were to determine the expression of the PTHRP-R in breast cancer bone metastases (BM) and to investigate the effects of PTHRP-R overexpression on breast cancer cell proliferation. PTHRP-R expression occurred in 85% (11 out of 13) of BM compared with 58% (39 out of 67) of PBC. Median expression was higher (P<0.05) in BM compared with PBC. PTHRP increased cAMP accumulation and DNA synthesis in MCF-7 cells stably overexpressing the PTHRP-R (MCF-7(WTR)) but not in MCF-7(VEC) control cells. The increase in DNA synthesis was mimicked by the cAMP pathway activator forskolin. The receptor antagonist PTHRP(7-34) reduced DNA synthesis in MCF-7(WTR) cells, but not MCF-7(VEC) cells, indicating that receptor overexpression promotes autocrine PTHRP activity. MCF-7(WTR) cells showed increased mitogenic responsiveness to fetal calf serum and reduced doubling times. PTHRP induced weak activation of ERK1 and ERK2 and potentiated their activation by serum growth factors. Collectively these results show that the PTHRP-R is frequently expressed in breast cancer BM and indicate that receptor overexpression drives proliferation via autocrine signals that are mediated via cAMP and ERK pathways.
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PMID:The parathyroid hormone-related protein receptor is expressed in breast cancer bone metastases and promotes autocrine proliferation in breast carcinoma cells. 1502 15

ERBB2 increases the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to the HSP90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG). This has been attributed to the disruption of ERBB3/ERBB2 heterodimers that maintain a crucial cell survival signal via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT. ERBB2 confers a poor clinical outcome in medulloblastoma, the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. Here, we show that medulloblastoma cell sensitivity to 17-AAG is directly related to ERBB2 expression level. Furthermore, overexpression of exogenous ERBB2 in these cells induces spontaneous homodimerization, further enhancing cell sensitivity to 17-AAG. In contrast to breast cancer cells, this increased sensitivity to 17-AAG does not result from cell dependence on AKT1 activity. Rather, we show that 17-AAG generates a dose- and time-dependent increase in MEK/ERK signaling that is required for the drug to inhibit the proliferation of medulloblastoma cells and that ERBB2 sensitizes medulloblastoma cells to 17-AAG by up-regulating basal MEK/ERK signaling. We further show that down-regulation of MEK1 activity markedly reduces the sensitivity of medulloblastoma, breast, and ovarian cancer cells to 17-AAG, whereas expression of a constitutively active MEK1 potentiates the activity of 17-AAG against these cells. Therefore, intact MEK/ERK signaling may be required for optimal 17AAG activity against a variety of tumor cell types. These data identify a new mechanism by which 17-AAG inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells. Defining the precise mode of action of these agents within specific tumor cell types will be crucial if this class of drugs is to be efficiently developed in the clinic.
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PMID:Medulloblastoma sensitivity to 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin requires MEK/ERKM. 1270 19

We have previously utilized a combination of high throughput sequencing and genome-wide microarray profiling analyses to identify novel cell-surface proteins expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. One gene identified by this approach encodes a type I transmembrane receptor that shares sequence homology with the intracellular domain of members of the interleukin-17 (IL-17) receptor family. Real-time quantitative PCR and Northern analyses revealed that this gene is highly expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and in several highly vascularized tissues such as kidney, colon, skeletal muscle, heart, and small intestine. In addition, we also found that it is also highly expressed in the ductal epithelial cells of human salivary glands, seminal vesicles, and the collecting tubules of the kidney by in situ hybridization. This putative receptor, which we have termed human SEF (hSEF), is also expressed in a variety of breast cancer tissues. In co-immunoprecipitation assays, this receptor is capable of forming homomeric complexes and can interact with fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor 1. Overexpression of this receptor inhibits FGF induction of an FGF-responsive reporter gene in human 293T cells. This appears to occur as a result of specific inhibition of p42/p44 ERK in the absence of upstream MEK inhibition. This inhibitory effect is dependent upon a functional intracellular domain since deletion mutants missing the IL-17 receptor-like domain lack this inhibitory effect. These findings are consistent with the recent discovery of the zebrafish homologue, Sef (similar expression to fgf genes), which specifically antagonizes FGF signaling when ectopically expressed in zebrafish or Xenopus laevis embryos. Based on sequence and functional similarities, this novel IL-17 receptor homologue represents a potential human SEF and is likely to play critical roles in endothelial or epithelial functions such as proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis.
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PMID:A novel interleukin-17 receptor-like protein identified in human umbilical vein endothelial cells antagonizes basic fibroblast growth factor-induced signaling. 1280 73

Constitutive activation of Ras or Ras-mediated signaling pathways is one of the initial steps during tumorigenesis that promotes neoplastic transformation. Recently it was reported that in Ha-Ras overexpressing MDCK cells the tight junction proteins claudin-1, occludin and ZO-1 were absent at cell-cell contact sites but present in the cytoplasm. Inhibition of MEK1 activity recruited all three proteins to the cell membrane leading to a restoration of the tight junction barrier function in MDCK cells. In order to evaluate the relevance of the MEK1 pathway in tight junction regulation in breast cancer cells, we investigated the effect ofMEK1 inhibition on expression of claudin-1, occludin and ZO-1 in natively claudin-1 expressing T47-D cells (low Ras activity), claudin-1 negative MCF-7 cells (elevated Ras activity) as well as two retroviral claudin-1 transduced MCF-7 daughter cell lines with prominent membrane and cytoplasmic claudin-1 dominant homing, respectively. Although we effectively blocked phosphorylation of MAPKs ERK-1 and ERK-2 using the selective MEK1 inhibitor PD98059, no quantitative changes of mRNA or protein levels of claudin-1, occludin and ZO-1 could be detected in all cell lines investigated. Furthermore, immnfluorescence analysis of claudin-1 revealed that inhibition of the MAPK pathway did not alter th e subcellular cytoplasmic distribution of claudin-1 to be more membrane specific. Finally, the diffusion barrier properties of tight junctions as analyzed by transepithelial resistance (TER) or paracellular flux analysis of 3 and 40 kDa dextran of tight junctions were not altered in the claudin-1 positive T47-D and the MCF-7 cell lines. Our findings indicate that the proposed involvement of the Ras-MEK-ERK pathway is likely not involved in the dysregulated tight junction formation in breast tumor cells and indicates that elevated activity of Ras might not be of general importance for the disruption of tight junction structures in breast tumors.
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PMID:Expression and function of tight junction associated molecules in human breast tumor cells is not affected by the Ras-MEK1 pathway. 1283 32

Using clonal derivatives of spontaneous mammary tumours in C3H/HeJ mice, we had earlier shown that tumour-derived nitric oxide (NO), resulting from endothelial type (e) NO synthase (NOS) expression by tumour cells, promoted tumour growth and metastasis by multiple mechanisms: stimulation of tumour cell invasiveness, migration and angiogenesis. Our present study examined the signaling mechanisms underlying NO-mediated promotion of tumour cell migration in a highly metastatic and high eNOS-expressing C3H/HeJ mammary tumour cell line, C3L5. C3L5 cell migration was reduced in the presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, NOS inhibitor) in a concentration-dependent manner and restored in the additional presence of excess L-arginine (NOS substrate), confirming a migration-promoting role of endogenous NO. Migratory capacity of C3L5 cells was reduced after treatment with the guanylate cyclase (GC) inhibitor 1-H-[1,2,4]oxadiaxolo[4,3-a]quinolalin-1-one (ODQ) and restored in the additional presence of 8-bromoguanosine 3'5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br cGMP, cGMP analogue), demonstrating a pivotal role for GC in C3L5 cell migration. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK; MEK) inhibitor, UO126, blocked migration, demonstrating MEK involvement in C3L5 cell migration. Furthermore, both ODQ and UO126 blocked migration-restoring effects of L-arginine in L-NAME-treated cells, indicating that GC and MAPK pathways are required for endogenous NO-mediated migratory responses. Similarly, L-NAME reduced and additional treatment with excess L-arginine or sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor) stimulated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK(1/2)), demonstrating a role for endogenous and exogenous NO in ERK(1/2) activation. ODQ inhibited ERK(1/2) activation, whereas 8-Br cGMP stimulated ERK(1/2) phosphorylation in L-NAME-treated cells, indicating that cGMP is a downstream effector of NOS for ERK(1/2) activation. Finally, both ODQ and UO126 blocked the capacity of L-arginine to restore ERK(1/2) phosphorylation in L-NAME-treated cells, demonstrating that GC and MEK are both required for endogenous NO-mediated MAPK activation. Together, these results indicate sequential activation of NOS, GC and MAPK pathways in mediating signals for C3L5 cell migration, an essential step in invasion and metastasis. Since NOS activity is positively associated with human breast cancer progression, the present results are relevant for development of therapeutic modalities for this disease.
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PMID:Nitric oxide-mediated promotion of mammary tumour cell migration requires sequential activation of nitric oxide synthase, guanylate cyclase and mitogen-activated protein kinase. 1284 43

Cytokines are important for breast cell function, both as trophic hormones and as mediators of host defense mechanisms against breast cancer. Recently, inducible feedback suppressors of cytokine signalling (SOCS/JAB/SSI) have been identified, which decrease cell sensitivity to cytokines. We examined the expression of SOCS genes in 17 breast carcinomas and 10 breast cancer lines, in comparison with normal tissue and breast lines. We report elevated expression of SOCS-1-3 and CIS immunoreactive proteins within in situ ductal carcinomas and infiltrating ductal carcinomas relative to normal breast tissue. Significantly increased expression of SOCS-1-3 and CIS transcripts was also shown by quantitative in situ hybridisation within both tumour tissue and reactive stroma. CIS transcript expression was elevated in all 10 cancer lines, but not in control lines. However, there was no consistent elevation of other SOCS transcripts. CIS protein was shown by immunoblot to be present in all cancer lines at increased levels, mainly as the 47 kDa ubiquitinylated form. A potential proliferative role for CIS overexpression is supported by reports that CIS activates ERK kinases, and by strong induction in transient reporter assays with an ERK-responsive promoter. The in vivo elevation of SOCS gene expression may be part of the host/tumour response or a response to autocrine/paracrine GH and prolactin. However, increased CIS expression in breast cancer lines appears to be a specific lesion, and could simultaneously shut down STAT 5 signalling by trophic hormones, confer resistance to host cytokines and increase proliferation through ERK kinases.
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PMID:Suppressor of cytokine signalling gene expression is elevated in breast carcinoma. 1288 25

We examined the signalling pathways responsible for the Ang II induction of growth in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Ang II in MCF-7 cells induced: (a) the translocation from the cytosol to membrane and nucleus of atypical protein kinase C-zeta (PKC-zeta) but not of PKC-alpha, -delta, - epsilon and -eta; (b) the expression of c-fos mRNA and protein; (c) the phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). All these effects were due to the activation of the Ang II type I receptor (AT1) since they were blocked by the AT1 antagonist losartan. The Ang II-stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation was blocked by (a) high doses of staurosporine, inhibitor of PKC-zeta, and by a synthetic myristoylated peptide with sequences based on the endogenous PKC-zeta pseudosubstrate region (zeta-PS); (b) PD098059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor (MAPKK/MEK); and, moreover, (c) the inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), LY294002 and wortmannin, thus indicating that PI3K may act upstream of ERK1/2. The Ang II-evoked c-fos induction was blocked only by high doses of staurosporine and by zeta-PS whilst PD098059, LY294002 and wortmannin were ineffective, thus indicating that c-fos induction is not due to ERK1/2 activity. When the epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase activity was inhibited by the use of its inhibitor AG1478, Ang II was still able to induce ERK1/2 phosphorylation and c-fos expression, therefore proving that the transactivation of EGFR was not required for these Ang II effects in MCF-7 cells. The previously reported proliferation of MCF-7 cells induced by Ang II was blocked by PD098059 and by wortmannin in a dose-dependent manner, thereby indicating that in MCF-7 cells the PI3K and ERK pathways mediate the mitogenic signalling of AT1. Our results suggest that in MCF-7 cells Ang II activates multiple signalling pathways involving PKC-zeta, PI3K and MAPK; of these pathways only PKC-zeta appears responsible for the induction of c-fos.
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PMID:PKC-zeta is required for angiotensin II-induced activation of ERK and synthesis of C-FOS in MCF-7 cells. 1294 41


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