title: Inhibition of MUC1 expression by indole-3-carbinol.
abstract: MUC1 is a large transmembrane glycoprotein overexpressed by a majority of carcinomas. High expression of MUC1 is associated with aggressive tumors, and MUC1 antigen is used as a marker to monitor disease progression in breast cancer patients. Several lines of evidence strongly suggest that the overexpression of MUC1 contributes to cancer progression and metastasis. In this report, we demonstrate that the naturally occurring cancer preventative, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), inhibits the expression of MUC1 in breast cancer cells. I3C inhibited both MUC1 mRNA and protein levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This inhibition was seen in the estrogen responsive MCF-7 cells as well as unresponsive MDA-MB-468 cells, indicating that the inhibitory pathway is independent of estrogen receptor. Gene expression studies using the human MUC1 gene promoter connected to a luciferase reporter demonstrated that I3C inhibits the transcription of the MUC1 gene. Promoter deletion studies indicate that the region containing up to 600 bp upstream (-600) of the initiation site is sufficient for inhibition by I3C. Furthermore, I3C represses the activation of transcription mediated by the region between -600 and -450 bp. A putative xenobiotic response element was located within this region but the binding of AhR/Arnt heterodimer to this site was undetectable by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Our results may point to the existence of a novel pathway of transcriptional inhibition by I3C in cancer cells as well as a new mechanism of MUC1 gene inhibition. Our findings might have implications in the use of I3C as a preventative as well as a therapeutic agent for breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Insong J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hisatsune
authors.forename: Kwang Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D007211:Indoles; D018396:Mucin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C016517:indole-3-carbinol