title: Epithelial transformation by KLF4 requires Notch1 but not canonical Notch1 signaling.
abstract: The transcription factors Notch1 and KLF4 specify epithelial cell fates and confer stem cell properties. Suggesting a functional relationship, each gene can act to promote or suppress tumorigenesis in a context-dependent manner, and alteration of KLF4 or Notch pathway genes in mice gives rise to similar phenotypes. Activation of a conditional allele of KLF4 in RK3E epithelial cells rapidly induces expression of Notch1 mRNA and the active, intracellular form of Notch1. KLF4-induced transformation was suppressed by knockdown of endogenous Notch1 using siRNA or an inhibitor of gamma-secretase. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay shows that KLF4 binds to the proximal Notch1 promoter in human mammary epithelial cells, and siRNA-mediated suppression of KLF4 in human mammary cancer cells results in reduced expression of Notch1. Furthermore, KLF4 and Notch1 expression are correlated in primary human breast tumors (N = 89; Pearson analysis, r > 0.5, p < 0.0001). Like KLF4, Notch1 was previously shown to induce transformation of rat cells immortalized with adenovirus E1A, similar to RK3E cells. We therefore compared the signaling requirements for Notch1- or KLF4-induced malignant transformation of RK3E. As expected, transformation by Notch1 was suppressed by dominant-negative CSL or MAML1, inhibitors of canonical Notch1 signaling. However, these inhibitors did not suppress transformation by KLF4. Therefore, while KLF4-induced transformation requires Notch1, canonical Notch1 signaling is not required, and Notch1 may signal through a distinct pathway in cells with increased KLF4 activity. These results suggest that KLF4 could contribute to breast tumor progression by activating synthesis of Notch1 and by promoting signaling through a non-canonical Notch1 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Zhaoli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Andra R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: Kirby I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Bland
authors.forename: Albert F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: LoBuglio
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ruppert
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lobo-Ruppert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000502:physiology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D051381:Rats; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C000715467:KLF4 protein, human; C000715468:Klf4 protein, mouse; C000715469:Klf4 protein, rat; D000090062:Kruppel-Like Factor 4; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; C430872:MAML1 protein, human; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D014157:Transcription Factors