title: AKT2 is frequently upregulated in HER-2/neu-positive breast cancers and may contribute to tumor aggressiveness by enhancing cell survival.
abstract: Amplification or overexpression of the HER-2/neu gene in breast cancers is associated with aggressive behavior and resistance to therapeutic regimens. The molecular mechanisms that contribute to therapeutic resistance/survival of HER-2/neu-overexpressing tumor cells have not been well defined. To determine if phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT signaling contributes to cell survival in HER-2/neu-positive breast cancers, we performed immunohistochemical analyses to evaluate expression of HER-2/neu and AKT in a series of 52 breast carcinomas. Elevated expression of HER-2/neu was found to correlate with overexpression of AKT2 protein and activation of AKT kinase. HER-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer cell lines were resistant to apoptosis induced by UV treatment and hypoxia, which was suppressed in the presence of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin, indicating a link between AKT activation and stress resistance in HER-2/neu-overexpressing cells. These observations suggest that AKT signaling augments resistance to stress-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells overexpressing HER-2/neu.
authors.affiliation: Ventana Medical Systems, Inc./QDL, 610 Oakmont Lane, Westmont, Illinois, IL 60559, USA. sbacus@ventanamed.com
authors.forename: Sarah S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bacus
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Altomare
authors.forename: Ljuba
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lyass
authors.forename: Dot Mon
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gurova
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gudkov
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Testa
mesh_terms: D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002470:Cell Survival; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000077191:Wortmannin
chemical_list: D000730:Androstadienes; D002867:Chromones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009025:Morpholines; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D000077191:Wortmannin; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; C494921:AKT2 protein, human