A role for nucleotides in support of breast cancer angiogenesis: heterologous receptor signalling.

BACKGROUND: Human breast carcinoma cells secrete an adenosine 5'-diphosphate transphosphorylase (sNDPK) known to induce endothelial cell tubulogenesis in a P2Y receptor-dependent manner. We examined sNDPK secretion and its effects on human endothelial cells. METHODS: Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) secretion was measured by western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while transphosphorylase activity was measured using the luciferin-luciferase ATP assay. Activation of MAPK was determined by western blot analysis, immunofluorescence and endothelial cell proliferation and migration. RESULTS: A panel of breast cancer cell lines with origin as ductal carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or medullary carcinoma, secrete sNDPK-A/B. Addition of purified NDPK-B to endothelial cultures activated VEGFR-2 and Erk(1/2), both of which were blocked by inhibitors of NDPK and P2Y receptors. Activation of VEGFR-2 and ErK(1/2) by 2-methylthio-ATP (2MeS-ATP) was blocked by pretreatment with the P2Y(1)-specific antagonist MRS2179, the proto-oncogene non-receptor tyrosine kinase (Src) inhibitor PP2 or the VEGFR-2 antagonist SU1498. Nucleoside diphosphate kinase-B stimulates cell growth and migration in a concentration-dependent manner comparable to the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor. Treatment of endothelial cells with either NDPK-B or 2MeS-ATP induced migration, blocked by P2Y(1), Src or VEGFR-2 antagonists. CONCLUSION: sNDPK supports angiogenesis. Understanding the mechanism of action of sNDPK and P2Y(1) nucleotide signalling in metastasis and angiogenesis represent new therapeutic targets for anti-angiogenic therapies to benefit patients.

LRIG1 opposes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and inhibits invasion of basal-like breast cancer cells.

LRIG1 (leucine-rich repeat and immunoglobulin-like domain containing), a member of the LRIG family of transmembrane leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins, is a negative regulator of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and a tumor suppressor. LRIG1 expression is broadly decreased in human cancer and in breast cancer and low expression of LRIG1 has been linked to decreased relapse-free survival. Recently, low expression of LRIG1 was revealed to be an independent risk factor for breast cancer metastasis and death. These findings suggest that LRIG1 may oppose breast cancer cell motility and invasion, cellular processes that are fundamental to metastasis. However, very little is known of LRIG1 function in this regard. In this study, we demonstrate that LRIG1 is downregulated during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human mammary epithelial cells, suggesting that LRIG1 expression may represent a barrier to EMT. Indeed, depletion of endogenous LRIG1 in human mammary epithelial cells expands the stem cell population, augments mammosphere formation and accelerates EMT. Conversely, expression of LRIG1 in highly invasive Basal B breast cancer cells provokes a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition accompanied by a dramatic suppression of tumorsphere formation and a striking loss of invasive growth in three-dimensional culture. LRIG1 expression perturbs multiple signaling pathways and represses markers and effectors of the mesenchymal state. Furthermore, LRIG1 expression in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells significantly slows their growth as tumors, providing the first in vivo evidence that LRIG1 functions as a growth suppressor in breast cancer.