title: The POU homeodomain protein OCT3 as a potential transcriptional activator for fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF-4) in human breast cancer cells.
abstract: The POU (representing a homeodomain protein family of which the founder members are Pit-1, Oct-1/2 and Unc-86) homeodomain protein OCT3/Oct-3 (where OCT stands for octamer-binding protein) is an embryonic transcription factor expressed in oocytes, embryonic stem and embryonic carcinoma cells. We have demonstrated previously that human breast cancer cells regain the ability to express OCT3 mRNA [Jin, Branch, Zhang, Qi, Youngson and Goss (1999) Int. J. Cancer 81, 104-112]. Antibodies against human OCT3 were not available when this study was conducted. By using a human OCT3-glutathione S-transferase fusion protein to affinity purify a polyclonal antibody against the mouse Oct-3, we obtained an antibody that enabled us to detect OCT3 in human breast cancer cells by Western-blot analysis. Thus we have now confirmed that OCT3 is expressed in human breast cancer cells but not in normal human breasts and in three other organs. When breast cancer cell lines were treated with all- trans -retinoic acid, OCT3 expression was repressed, associated with decreased cell proliferation. Although another POU protein Brn-3 has been shown to be a repressor for BRCA1 (breast-cancer susceptibility gene 1), OCT3 does not repress human or mouse BRCA1/Brca-1 promoters. However, OCT3 is capable of activating a fusion promoter containing the fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF-4) enhancer element. In addition, we documented for the first time that human breast cancer cells express FGF-4 protein, and its expression could be inhibited by all- trans -retinoic acid. Furthermore, overexpressing OCT3 stimulated endogenous FGF-4 expression in MCF7 breast cancer cell line. These observations indicate that OCT3 protein is selectively expressed in human breast cancer cells, and its expression may be implicated in mammary gland tumorigenesis via up-regulating FGF-4 expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, 67 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2M1.
authors.forename: Peixiang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Branch
authors.forename: Meenakshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bali
authors.forename: Gilbert A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.forename: Tianru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020218:Response Elements; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C496445:FGF4 protein, human; D051519:Fibroblast Growth Factor 4; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014212:Tretinoin; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D013937:Thymidine Kinase