1
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Reed AD, Pensa S, Steif A, Stenning J, Kunz DJ, Porter LJ, Hua K, He P, Twigger AJ, Siu AJQ, Kania K, Barrow-McGee R, Goulding I, Gomm JJ, Speirs V, Jones JL, Marioni JC, Khaled WT. A single-cell atlas enables mapping of homeostatic cellular shifts in the adult human breast. Nat Genet 2024; 56:652-662. [PMID: 38548988 PMCID: PMC11018528 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01688-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing to compile a human breast cell atlas assembled from 55 donors that had undergone reduction mammoplasties or risk reduction mastectomies. From more than 800,000 cells we identified 41 cell subclusters across the epithelial, immune and stromal compartments. The contribution of these different clusters varied according to the natural history of the tissue. Age, parity and germline mutations, known to modulate the risk of developing breast cancer, affected the homeostatic cellular state of the breast in different ways. We found that immune cells from BRCA1 or BRCA2 carriers had a distinct gene expression signature indicative of potential immune exhaustion, which was validated by immunohistochemistry. This suggests that immune-escape mechanisms could manifest in non-cancerous tissues very early during tumor initiation. This atlas is a rich resource that can be used to inform novel approaches for early detection and prevention of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin D Reed
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adi Steif
- CRUK, Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jack Stenning
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Linsey J Porter
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kui Hua
- CRUK, Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peng He
- EMBL European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, UK
- Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Alecia-Jane Twigger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Abigail J Q Siu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katarzyna Kania
- CRUK, Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rachel Barrow-McGee
- Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank, Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Iain Goulding
- Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank, Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jennifer J Gomm
- Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank, Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Valerie Speirs
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Aberdeen Cancer Centre, Aberdeen, UK
| | - J Louise Jones
- Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank, Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - John C Marioni
- CRUK, Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- EMBL European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, UK.
- Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK.
- Genentech, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Walid T Khaled
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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2
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Hitchcock J, Hughes K, Pensa S, Lloyd-Lewis B, Watson CJ. The immune environment of the mammary gland fluctuates during post-lactational regression and correlates with tumour growth rate. Development 2022; 149:275060. [PMID: 35420674 PMCID: PMC9124574 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Post-lactational mammary gland regression encompasses extensive programmed cell death and removal of milk-producing epithelial cells, breakdown of extracellular matrix components and redifferentiation of stromal adipocytes. This highly regulated involution process is associated with a transient increased risk of breast cancer in women. Using a syngeneic tumour model, we show that tumour growth is significantly altered depending on the stage of involution at which tumour cells are implanted. Tumour cells injected at day 3 involution grew faster than those in nulliparous mice, whereas tumours initiated at day 6 involution grew significantly slower. These differences in tumour progression correlate with distinct changes in innate immune cells, in particular among F4/80-expressing macrophages and among TCRδ+ unconventional T cells. Breast cancer post-pregnancy risk is exacerbated in older first-time mothers and, in our model, initial tumour growth is moderately faster in aged mice compared with young mice. Our results have implications for breast cancer risk and the use of anti-inflammatory therapeutics for postpartum breast cancers. Summary: Mammary gland involution is associated with dynamic changes in immune cell types and numbers at different stages that correlates with the initial rate of growth of implanted tumour cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Hitchcock
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Katherine Hughes
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Bethan Lloyd-Lewis
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Christine J. Watson
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
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3
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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: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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4
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Bach K, Pensa S, Zarocsinceva M, Kania K, Stockis J, Pinaud S, Lazarus KA, Shehata M, Simões BM, Greenhalgh AR, Howell SJ, Clarke RB, Caldas C, Halim TYF, Marioni JC, Khaled WT. Time-resolved single-cell analysis of Brca1 associated mammary tumourigenesis reveals aberrant differentiation of luminal progenitors. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1502. [PMID: 33686070 PMCID: PMC7940427 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21783-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is unclear how genetic aberrations impact the state of nascent tumour cells and their microenvironment. BRCA1 driven triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been shown to arise from luminal progenitors yet little is known about how BRCA1 loss-of-function (LOF) and concomitant mutations affect the luminal progenitor cell state. Here we demonstrate how time-resolved single-cell profiling of genetically engineered mouse models before tumour formation can address this challenge. We found that perturbing Brca1/p53 in luminal progenitors induces aberrant alveolar differentiation pre-malignancy accompanied by pro-tumourigenic changes in the immune compartment. Unlike alveolar differentiation during gestation, this process is cell autonomous and characterised by the dysregulation of transcription factors driving alveologenesis. Based on our data we propose a model where Brca1/p53 LOF inadvertently promotes a differentiation program hardwired in luminal progenitors, highlighting the deterministic role of the cell-of-origin and offering a potential explanation for the tissue specificity of BRCA1 tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Bach
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sara Pensa
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marija Zarocsinceva
- Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katarzyna Kania
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julie Stockis
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Silvain Pinaud
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kyren A Lazarus
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mona Shehata
- Medical Research Council Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bruno M Simões
- Manchester Breast Centre, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Alice R Greenhalgh
- Manchester Breast Centre, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sacha J Howell
- Manchester Breast Centre, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Medical Oncology, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Robert B Clarke
- Manchester Breast Centre, Oglesby Cancer Research Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Carlos Caldas
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Timotheus Y F Halim
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John C Marioni
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
- European Bioinformatics Institute, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hinxton, UK.
| | - Walid T Khaled
- University of Cambridge, Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge, UK.
- Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK.
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5
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Hume RD, Pensa S, Brown EJ, Kreuzaler PA, Hitchcock J, Husmann A, Campbell JJ, Lloyd-Thomas AO, Cameron RE, Watson CJ. Tumour cell invasiveness and response to chemotherapeutics in adipocyte invested 3D engineered anisotropic collagen scaffolds. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12658. [PMID: 30139956 PMCID: PMC6107500 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30107-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancers are highly heterogeneous and their metastatic potential and response to therapeutic drugs is difficult to predict. A tool that could accurately gauge tumour invasiveness and drug response would provide a valuable addition to the oncologist’s arsenal. We have developed a 3-dimensional (3D) culture model that recapitulates the stromal environment of breast cancers by generating anisotropic (directional) collagen scaffolds seeded with adipocytes and culturing tumour fragments therein. Analysis of tumour cell invasion in the presence of various therapeutic drugs, by immunofluorescence microscopy coupled with an optical clearing technique, demonstrated the utility of this approach in determining both the rate and capacity of tumour cells to migrate through the stroma while shedding light also on the mode of migration. Furthermore, the response of different murine mammary tumour types to chemotherapeutic drugs could be readily quantified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Hume
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Brown
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Peter A Kreuzaler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Jessica Hitchcock
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Anke Husmann
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK
| | - Jonathan J Campbell
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK
| | - Annabel O Lloyd-Thomas
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Ruth E Cameron
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK
| | - Christine J Watson
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK.
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6
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Lazarus KA, Hadi F, Zambon E, Bach K, Santolla MF, Watson JK, Correia LL, Das M, Ugur R, Pensa S, Becker L, Campos LS, Ladds G, Liu P, Evan GI, McCaughan FM, Le Quesne J, Lee JH, Calado D, Khaled WT. BCL11A interacts with SOX2 to control the expression of epigenetic regulators in lung squamous carcinoma. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3327. [PMID: 30127402 PMCID: PMC6102279 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05790-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) have limited targeted therapies. We report here the identification and characterisation of BCL11A, as a LUSC oncogene. Analysis of cancer genomics datasets revealed BCL11A to be upregulated in LUSC but not in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Experimentally we demonstrate that non-physiological levels of BCL11A in vitro and in vivo promote squamous-like phenotypes, while its knockdown abolishes xenograft tumour formation. At the molecular level we found that BCL11A is transcriptionally regulated by SOX2 and is required for its oncogenic functions. Furthermore, we show that BCL11A and SOX2 regulate the expression of several transcription factors, including SETD8. We demonstrate that shRNA-mediated or pharmacological inhibition of SETD8 selectively inhibits LUSC growth. Collectively, our study indicates that BCL11A is integral to LUSC pathology and highlights the disruption of the BCL11A-SOX2 transcriptional programme as a novel candidate for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyren A Lazarus
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, CB2 0XZ, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fazal Hadi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, CB2 0XZ, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elisabetta Zambon
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, CB2 0XZ, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karsten Bach
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, CB2 0XZ, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maria-Francesca Santolla
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Julie K Watson
- WT-MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Lucia L Correia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Madhumita Das
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 7HB, UK
| | - Rosemary Ugur
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, CB2 0XZ, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, CB2 0XZ, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lukas Becker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Lia S Campos
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Graham Ladds
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Pentao Liu
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Gerard I Evan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Frank M McCaughan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - John Le Quesne
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 7HB, UK
- Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE2 7LX, UK
- University Hospitals Leicester NHS trust, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK
| | - Joo-Hyeon Lee
- WT-MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Dinis Calado
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Walid T Khaled
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK.
- Cambridge Cancer Centre, CB2 0XZ, Cambridge, UK.
- WT-MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
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7
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Bach K, Pensa S, Adams DJ, Marioni JC, Khaled WT. Abstract PR04: Differentiation dynamics of the developing mammary gland revealed by single-cell RNA-sequencing. Mol Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3125.advbc17-pr04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The mammary gland consists of epithelial ducts that stretch out in a tree-like structure through a stromal fat pad. The ducts are formed by two layers, the inner layer composed of luminal cells and an outer layer
of basal (myoepithelial) cells. Despite this relatively simple anatomy, the precise cellular composition and hierarchies are still ill-defined. Recent efforts to enrich, isolate, and characterize the different mammary epithelial cell compartments only used a handful of markers to define and trace cell populations. Therefore, there is a need for an unbiased and comprehensive description of mammary epithelial cells within the gland at different developmental stages. To this end we herein use single-cell RNA sequencing to determine the gene expression profile of individual cells across four adult developmental stages; nulliparous, mid-gestation, lactation, and post-weaning (full natural involution).
Our data from over 23,000 individual cells identify distinct mammary epithelial cell populations and allow their hierarchical structure across development to be charted. The luminal compartment showed a differentiation structure with a common progenitor that can give rise to intermediate progenitors of both alveolar and hormone-sensing luminal cells. In contrast, we captured only few cells that were transitioning between basal and luminal cells, suggesting that the basal compartment is less involved in maintaining luminal cells in adult tissue homeostasis.
Interestingly, the transcriptional profile of some cell types appeared to be more affected by gestation and lactation. For example, our analysis revealed a cluster of luminal progenitor cells in post-involution glands, which is distinct from progenitors found in nulliparous glands. The post-involution progenitor cells share all the luminal progenitor characteristics with their nulliparous counterparts but were marked by higher expression of genes involved in milk synthesis and the immune response, suggesting that these cells maintain a memory of having undergone a full pregnancy cycle. This is especially interesting in the light of the protective effect of early pregnancies on breast cancers.
The data also showed that only few clusters could be fully characterized by a single marker gene. We argue instead that the epithelial cells—especially in the luminal compartment—should rather be conceptualized as being part of a continuous spectrum of differentiation. This view highlights the plasticity of the tissue and might help to explain some of the conflicting results from lineage tracing studies.
Our work provides a foundation for understanding the cellular aspects of the developmental biology of the mammary gland. This is vital to understand the early steps of tumor development. We hope that our dataset can also be mined to help to gain insights into the cells-of-origin for various breast cancers.
This abstract is also being presented as Poster A66.
Citation Format: Karsten Bach, Sara Pensa, David J. Adams, John C. Marioni, Walid T. Khaled. Differentiation dynamics of the developing mammary gland revealed by single-cell RNA-sequencing [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2017 Oct 7-10; Hollywood, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2018;16(8_Suppl):Abstract nr PR04.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Bach
- 1Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
| | - Sara Pensa
- 1Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
| | - David J. Adams
- 2Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
| | - John C. Marioni
- 3Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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8
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Bach K, Pensa S, Grzelak M, Hadfield J, Adams DJ, Marioni JC, Khaled WT. Differentiation dynamics of mammary epithelial cells revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2128. [PMID: 29225342 PMCID: PMC5723634 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterising the hierarchy of mammary epithelial cells (MECs) and how they are regulated during adult development is important for understanding how breast cancer arises. Here we report the use of single-cell RNA sequencing to determine the gene expression profile of MECs across four developmental stages; nulliparous, mid gestation, lactation and post involution. Our analysis of 23,184 cells identifies 15 clusters, few of which could be fully characterised by a single marker gene. We argue instead that the epithelial cells-especially in the luminal compartment-should rather be conceptualised as being part of a continuous spectrum of differentiation. Furthermore, our data support the existence of a common luminal progenitor cell giving rise to intermediate, restricted alveolar and hormone-sensing progenitors. This luminal progenitor compartment undergoes transcriptional changes in response to a full pregnancy, lactation and involution. In summary, our results provide a global, unbiased view of adult mammary gland development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Bach
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Marta Grzelak
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
| | - James Hadfield
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
| | - David J Adams
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1HH, UK
| | - John C Marioni
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK.
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK.
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1HH, UK.
- European Bioinformatics Institute, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hinxton, CB10 1 SD, UK.
| | - Walid T Khaled
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK.
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK.
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9
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Avalle L, Incarnato D, Savino A, Gai M, Marino F, Pensa S, Barbieri I, Stadler MB, Provero P, Oliviero S, Poli V. MicroRNAs-143 and -145 induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition and modulate the expression of junction proteins. Cell Death Differ 2017; 24:1750-1760. [PMID: 28644441 PMCID: PMC5596419 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2017.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is one of the major inducers of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a crucial program that has a critical role in promoting carcinoma's metastasis formation. MicroRNAs-143 and -145, which are both TGF-β direct transcriptional targets, are essential for the differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) during embryogenesis, a TGF-β-dependent process reminiscent of EMT. Their role in adult tissues is however less well defined and even ambiguous, as their expression was correlated both positively and negatively with tumor progression. Here we show that high expression of both miRs-143 and -145 in mouse mammary tumor cells expressing constitutively active STAT3 (S3C) is involved in mediating their disrupted cell-cell junctions. Additionally, miR-143 appears to have a unique role in tumorigenesis by enhancing cell migration in vitro and extravasation in vivo while impairing anchorage-independent growth, which may explain the contradictory reports about its role in tumors. Accordingly, we demonstrate that overexpression of either miRNA in the non-transformed mammary epithelial NMuMG cells leads to upregulation of EMT markers and of several endogenous TGF-β targets, downmodulation of a number of junction proteins and increased motility, correlating with enhanced basal and TGF-β-induced SMAD-mediated transcription. Moreover, pervasive transcriptome perturbation consistent with the described phenotype was observed. In particular, the expression of several transcription factors involved in the mitogenic responses, of MAPK family members and, importantly, of several tight junction proteins and the SMAD co-repressor TGIF was significantly reduced. Our results provide important mechanistic insight into the non-redundant role of miRs-143 and -145 in EMT-related processes in both transformed and non-transformed cells, and suggest that their expression must be finely coordinated to warrant optimal migration/invasion while not interfering with cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Avalle
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Danny Incarnato
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy
- Human Genetics Foundation (HuGeF), Torino, Italy
| | - Aurora Savino
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marta Gai
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Marino
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Isaia Barbieri
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Michael B Stadler
- Friederich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Provero
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Center for Translational Genomics and Bioinformatics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Salvatore Oliviero
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy
- Human Genetics Foundation (HuGeF), Torino, Italy
| | - Valeria Poli
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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10
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Lloyd-Lewis B, Sargeant TJ, Kreuzaler PA, Resemann HK, Pensa S, Watson CJ. Analysis of the Involuting Mouse Mammary Gland: An In Vivo Model for Cell Death. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1501:165-186. [PMID: 27796952 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6475-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Involution of the mammary gland occurs at the end of every period of lactation and is an essential process to return the gland to a pre-pregnant state in readiness for the next pregnancy. Involution is a complex process of regulated alveolar cell death coupled with tissue remodeling and requires exquisite control of transcription and signaling. These processes can be investigated using a variety of molecular and morphological approaches.In this chapter we describe how to initiate involution and collect mammary glands, measure involution morphologically, and quantify lysosomal leakiness in mammary tissue and in cultured mammary epithelial cells. These procedures encompass a range of microscopy and molecular biology techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Lloyd-Lewis
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Timothy J Sargeant
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Peter A Kreuzaler
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Henrike K Resemann
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Sara Pensa
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Christine J Watson
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK.
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11
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Pensa S, Demaria M, Avalle L, Barbieri I, Camporeale A, Poli V. From tissue invasion to glucose metabolism: the many aspects of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pro-oncogenic activities. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig 2014; 10:217-25. [PMID: 25436678 DOI: 10.1515/hmbci-2012-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 02/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Abstract Background: The pro-oncogenic transcription factor STAT3 is constitutively active in tumours of many different origins, which often become addicted to its activity. STAT3 is believed to contribute to the initial survival of pre-cancerous cells as well as to hyper-proliferation and, later, metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS To evaluate the contribution of enhanced STAT3 activation in a controlled model system, we generated knock-in mice in which a mutant constitutively active Stat3C allele replaces the endogenous wild-type allele and analysed its contribution to breast tumorigenesis. Moreover, we generated Stat3C/C MEF cells and analysed their gene expression and metabolic profiles. RESULTS Constitutively active STAT3 could enhance the tumorigenic power of the rat Neu oncogene in MMTV-Neu transgenic mice and trigger the production of earlier onset and more invasive mammary tumours. Tumour-derived cell lines displayed higher migrating, invading and metastatic ability and showed disrupted distribution of cell-cell junction markers. These features were mediated by STAT3-dependent over-expression of the C-terminal tensin-like (Cten) focal adhesion protein. Moreover, STAT3C alone was able to induce aerobic glycolysis and down-regulate mitochondrial activity, both in primary fibroblasts and in STAT3-dependent tumour cell lines, acting via both HIF-1α-dependent and independent mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS STAT3 can induce a metabolic switch that predisposes cells to aberrant survival, enhanced proliferation and, finally, tumour transformation. Later, enhanced Cten expression contributes to tissue infiltration and metastasis. While not excluding the contribution of many other tumour-specific STAT3 target genes, our data provide a unifying explanation of several pro-oncogenic STAT3 activities.
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12
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Lami I, Abastante F, Bottero M, Masala E, Pensa S. Integrating multicriteria evaluation and data visualization as a problem structuring approach to support territorial transformation projects. EURO Journal on Decision Processes 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40070-014-0033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Pensa S, Lloyd-Lewis B, Sargeant TJ, Resemann HK, Kahn CR, Watson CJ. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunits p55α and p50α regulate autophagy in vivo. FEBS J 2014; 281:4557-67. [PMID: 25205393 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Mammary gland involution involves a process that includes one of the most dramatic examples of cell death in an adult mammalian organism. We have previously shown that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) regulates a lysosomal pathway of cell death in the first 48 h of involution and induces lysosome leakiness in mammary epithelial cells. Interestingly, Stat3 is associated also with the striking induction of autophagy that occurs concomitantly with cell death, presumably as a transient survival mechanism. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunits p55α and p50α are dramatically and specifically upregulated at the transcriptional level by Stat3 at the onset of involution. We show here that ablation of either Stat3 or p55α/p50α in vivo affects autophagy during involution. We used two different cell culture models (normal mammary epithelial cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts) to further investigate the role of p55α/p50α in autophagy regulation. Our results demonstrate a direct role for p55α/p50α as inhibitors of autophagy mediated by p85α. Thus, Stat3 and its downstream targets p55α/p50α are key regulators of the balance between autophagy and cell death in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pensa
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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14
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Abstract
The transcription factors STAT1 and STAT3 appear to play opposite roles in tumorigenesis. While STAT3 promotes cell survival/proliferation, motility and immune tolerance and is considered as an oncogene, STAT1 mostly triggers anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic responses while enhancing anti-tumor immunity. Despite being activated downstream of common cytokine and growth factor receptors, their activation is reciprocally regulated and perturbation in their balanced expression or phosphorylation levels may re-direct cytokine/growth factor signals from proliferative to apoptotic, or from inflammatory to anti-inflammatory. Here we review the functional canonical and non-canonical effects of STAT1 and STAT3 activation in tumorigenesis and their potential cross-regulation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Avalle
- Molecular Biotechnology Center and Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry; University of Turin; Turin, Italy
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15
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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16
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Caffarel MM, Zaragoza R, Pensa S, Li J, Green AR, Watson CJ. Constitutive activation of JAK2 in mammary epithelium elevates Stat5 signalling, promotes alveologenesis and resistance to cell death, and contributes to tumourigenesis. Cell Death Differ 2011; 19:511-22. [PMID: 21941370 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2011.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Signalling through the janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) pathway is required at different stages of mammary gland development, and this pathway is frequently hyper-activated in cancer, including tumours of the breast. Stats 3, 5 and 6 have important roles in the differentiation and survival of mammary alveolar cells, but somewhat paradoxically, both Stat3 and 5 can have oncogenic activity in the mammary gland. Constitutive activation of JAK2 could be anticipated to result in hyper-activation of Stats 1, 3, 5 and 6 with concomitant cell transformation, although the outcome is difficult to envisage, particularly since Stats 3 and 5 play opposing roles in normal mammary gland development. Here, we show that expression of a constitutively active JAK2 mutant, JAK2 V617F, leads to hyper-activation of Stat5 in mammary epithelial cells (MECs), and transgenic mice expressing JAK2 V617F specifically in the mammary gland exhibit accelerated alveologenesis during pregnancy and delayed post-lactational regression. Overexpressing JAK2 V617F in MECs in vitro results in elevated proliferation and resistance to cell death. Furthermore, constitutively active JAK2 enhances anchorage-independent cell growth in the presence of a co-operating oncogene and accelerates tumourigenesis in a xenograft model. Taken together, our results provide insights into signalling downstream of constitutively active JAK2 and could be important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of breast tumourigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Caffarel
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK.
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17
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Barbieri I, Pensa S, Pannellini T, Quaglino E, Maritano D, Demaria M, Voster A, Turkson J, Cavallo F, Watson CJ, Provero P, Musiani P, Poli V. Constitutively Active Stat3 Enhances Neu-Mediated Migration and Metastasis in Mammary Tumors via Upregulation of Cten. Cancer Res 2010; 70:2558-67. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-2840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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18
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Pensa S, Watson CJ, Poli V. Stat3 and the inflammation/acute phase response in involution and breast cancer. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2009; 14:121-9. [PMID: 19424782 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-009-9124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2009] [Accepted: 04/16/2009] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor Stat3 is essential for timely initiation of post-lactational regression and orchestrates the processes of cell death and tissue remodelling that occur during the first 6 days of involution in the mouse. Paradoxically, STAT3 is also frequently found to be constitutively active in breast cancer and tumors can become addicted to STAT3. This raises two interesting questions: 1) do the high levels of active Stat3 present in the mammary epithelium during involution promote tumor spread and 2) how do tumor cells escape the pro-apoptotic effects of Stat3? In order to address these questions, it is essential to understand the role of Stat3 in involution and the mechanisms by which Stat3 regulates both cell death and tissue remodelling. A number of studies have been undertaken using genetically modified mice and microarray analyses and two significant findings arose from these investigations. Firstly, post-lactational regression is associated with an acute phase and inflammatory response in addition to cell death and secondly, Stat3 alone is insufficient to induce involution in the absence of the NF-kappaB regulatory kinase IKKbeta. Both Stat3 and NF-kappaB have been shown to regulate the expression of genes involved in inflammatory signalling and the acute phase response. These findings suggest a role for the innate immune response in mammary epithelial cell fate during involution and highlight potential roles for this response in tissue remodelling-associated breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pensa
- Department of Genetics, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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19
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Regis G, Pensa S, Boselli D, Novelli F, Poli V. Ups and downs: the STAT1:STAT3 seesaw of Interferon and gp130 receptor signalling. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2008; 19:351-9. [PMID: 18620071 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2008.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2008] [Revised: 06/04/2008] [Accepted: 06/17/2008] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Downstream of cytokine or growth factor receptors, STAT3 counteracts inflammation and promotes cell survival/proliferation and immune tolerance while STAT1 inhibits proliferation and favours innate and adaptive immune responses. STAT1 and STAT3 activation are reciprocally regulated and perturbation in their balanced expression or phosphorylation levels may re-direct cytokine/growth factor signals from proliferative to apoptotic, or from inflammatory to anti-inflammatory. Here we review the functional canonical and non-canonical effects of STAT1/3 activation and discuss the hypothesis that perturbation of their expression and/or activation levels may provide novel therapeutic strategies in different clinical settings and particularly in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Regis
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, via Nizza 52, 10126 Turin, Italy.
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