ERalpha suppresses slug expression directly by transcriptional repression.
Two of the most common signalling pathways in breast cancer are the ER (oestrogen receptor) ligand activation pathway and the E-cadherin snai1 slug EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) pathway. Although these pathways have been thought to interact indirectly, the present study is the first to observe direct interactions between these pathways that involves the regulation of slug expression. Specifically we report that ligand-activated ERalpha suppressed slug expression directly by repression of transcription and that knockdown of ERalpha with RNA interference increased slug expression. More specifically, slug expression was down-regulated in ERalpha-negative MDA-MB-468 cells transfected with ERalpha after treatment with E2 (17beta-oestradiol). The down-regulation of slug in the ERalpha-positive MCF-7 cell line was mediated by direct repression of slug transcription by the formation of a co-repressor complex involving ligand-activated ERalpha protein, HDAC1 (histone deacetylase 1) and N-CoR (nuclear receptor co-repressor). This finding was confirmed by sequential ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) studies. In the MCF-7 cell line, slug expression normally was low. In addition, knockdown of ERalpha with RNA interference in this cell line increased slug expression. This effect could be partially reversed by treatment of the cells with E2. The efficacy of the effect of ERalpha on slug repression was dependent on the overall level of ERalpha. These observations confirmed that slug was an E2-responsive gene.
Ye
Yin
Y
Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 129 Hamilton Hall, 1645 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Xiao
Yi
Y
Wang
Wenting
W
Yearsley
Kurtis
K
Gao
Jian-Xin
JX
Barsky
Sanford H
SH
D001483:Base Sequence; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C000604407:SNAI1 protein, human; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors