title: Splicing variant DeltaVII-Ets1 is downregulated in invasive Ets1-expressing breast cancer cells.
abstract: Transcription factor Ets1 is expressed in invasive breast cancer cells. In T-cells, the splicing variant DeltaVII-Ets1 is naturally produced along with full length Ets1 (fl-Ets1). Though its function is unknown, the lack of important inhibitory domains predicts a regulatory role of DeltaVII-Ets1 in fl-Ets1-controlled transcription. Examining the expression status of DeltaVII-Ets1 in invasive Ets1-producing MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, we found that the DeltaVII-Ets1 protein could only be detected when nuclear proteins from these cells were fractionated by ionic exchange chromatography. When overexpressed, DeltaVII-Ets1 was found to be partially degraded in breast cancer cells, but not in Jurkat T-cells or SK-Mel melanoma cells. In contrast, no proteolytic products resulted from ectopic expression of fl-Ets1 suggesting that breast cancer cells are able to specifically cleave DeltaVII-Ets1. Overexpression of DeltaVII-Ets1 reduced survival of MDA-MB-231 cells, but not of MCF-7 cells. A mutant version of DeltaVII-Ets1, lacking first 129 N-terminal amino acids, had no effect. These data suggest that Ets1-producing invasive breast cancer cells specifically downregulate DeltaVII-Ets1, as it may be able to adversely affect the survival of these cells.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Miescher Institut, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ballschmieter
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braig
authors.forename: Ralph K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Lindemann
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nordheim
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dittmer
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D015536:Down-Regulation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D013347:Subcellular Fractions; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; C494041:ETS1 protein, human; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins