title: Activation of KRAS promotes the mesenchymal features of basal-type breast cancer.
abstract: Basal-type breast cancers are among the most aggressive and deadly breast cancer subtypes, displaying a high metastatic ability associated with mesenchymal features. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the maintenance of mesenchymal phenotypes of basal-type breast cancer cells remain obscure. Here, we report that KRAS is a critical regulator for the maintenance of mesenchymal features in basal-type breast cancer cells. KRAS is preferentially activated in basal-type breast cancer cells as compared with luminal type. By loss and gain of KRAS, we found that KRAS is necessary and sufficient for the maintenance of mesenchymal phenotypes and metastatic ability through SLUG expression. Taken together, this study demonstrates that KRAS is a critical regulator for the metastatic behavior associated with mesenchymal features of breast cancer cells, implicating a novel therapeutic target for basal-type breast cancer.
authors: Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Rae-Kwon
authors: RK
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Yongjoon
authors: Y
authors: Suh
authors: Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Ki-Chun
authors: KC
authors: Yoo
authors: Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Yan-Hong
authors: YH
authors: Cui
authors: Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hyeonmi
authors: H
authors: Kim
authors: Laboratory of Radiation Exposure & Therapeutics, National Radiation Emergency Medical Center, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Min-Jung
authors: MJ
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Radiation Biology, Environmental Radiation Research Group, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: In
authors: I
authors: Gyu Kim
authors: Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Su-Jae
authors: SJ
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C117307:KRAS protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins
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