Mitogenic activity of estrogens in human breast cancer cells does not rely on direct induction of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellularly regulated kinase or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.
We have addressed the question of rapid, nongenomic mechanisms that may be involved in the mitogenic action of estrogens in hormone-dependent breast cancer cells. In quiescent, estrogen-deprived MCF-7 cells, estradiol did not induce a rapid activation of either the MAPK/ERK or phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K)/Akt pathway, whereas the entry into the cell cycle was documented by the successive inductions of cyclin D1 expression, hyperphosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb), activity of the promoter of the cyclin A gene, and DNA synthesis. However, pharmacological inhibitors of the src family kinases, 4-amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl) pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidine (PP1) or of the PI-3K (LY294002) did prevent the entry of the cells into the cell cycle and inhibited the late G1 phase progression, whereas the inhibitor of MAPK/ERK activation (U0126) had only a partial inhibitory effect in the early G1 phase. In agreement with these results, small interfering RNA targeting Akt strongly inhibited the estradiolinduced cell cycle progression monitored by the activation of the promoter of the cyclin A gene. The expression of small interfering RNA targeting MAPK 1 and 2 also had a clear inhibitory effect on the estradiol-induced activation of the cyclin A promoter and also antagonized the estradiol-induced transcription directed by the estrogen response element. Finally, transfection of the estrogen receptor into NIH3T3 fibroblasts did not confer to the cells sensitivity to a mitogenic action of estradiol. We conclude that the induction of the cell cycle by estradiol does not require a direct activation of MAPK/ERK or PI-3K signaling protein kinase cascades, but that these kinases appear to have a permissive role in the cell cycle progression.
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 482, 184 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, 75012 Paris, France. gaben@st-antoine.inserm.fr
Anne-Marie
AM
Gaben
Cécile
C
Saucier
Monique
M
Bedin
Gérard
G
Redeuilh
Jan
J
Mester
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D019925:Cyclin A / Q000235:genetics; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
D002070:Butadienes; D002867:Chromones; D019925:Cyclin A; D004958:Estradiol; D004967:Estrogens; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D008934:Mitogens; D009025:Morpholines; D009570:Nitriles; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; C113580:U 0126; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C494918:AKT1 protein, human