AKT3 regulates ErbB2, ErbB3 and estrogen receptor α expression and contributes to endocrine therapy resistance of ErbB2(+) breast tumor cells from Balb-neuT mice.

ErbB2(+) breast cancer is an aggressive breast cancer subtype generally associated with lower estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression and more aggressive tumor behavior compared to ERα(+)/ErbB2(-) breast cancer. The ErbB2(+) phenotype is associated with resistance to endocrine therapy, e.g. the selective estrogen receptor modulator Tamoxifen. However, the mechanisms underlying endocrine resistance are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the impact of AKT signaling and distinct functional roles of AKT isoforms in ErbB2(+) breast cancer from Balb-neuT mice. AKT isoform specific in vitro kinase assays revealed that AKT3 is activated in Balb-neuT breast tumors in comparison to normal murine breast tissue. Knock-down of AKT3, but not of AKT1 or AKT2, led to reduced expression and tyrosine-phosphorylation of ErbB2 and ErbB3 in Balb-neuT-derived mammary tumor cells. In contrast, expression of ERα was strongly up-regulated and phosphorylation of the AKT substrate Foxo3a which regulates ERα transcription was decreased in AKT3 knockdown cells. These data suggest that ERα expression is down regulated via AKT3/Foxo3a signaling in ErbB2(+) breast cancer cells. Furthermore, up-regulation of ERα after depletion of AKT3 resulted in a significant increase in Tamoxifen responsiveness of Balb-neuT-derived mammary tumor cells. In addition, Tamoxifen resistant human breast cancer cell lines showed increased AKT3 expression and activity in comparison to Tamoxifen responsive MCF-7 cells. Finally, by AKT isoform specific in vitro kinase assays of human breast cancer samples, AKT3 activity was detected in ErbB2(+) and triple negative tumors but not in ERα(+) breast cancer. Our data indicate that AKT3 regulates the expression of ErbB2, ErbB3 and ERα and demonstrate that down-regulation of activated AKT3 can sensitize ErbB2(+) breast cancer cells for treatment with Tamoxifen. Therefore, AKT3 targeting might be a new promising strategy for therapy of ErbB2(+)/ERα(-) breast cancer and might further increase the responsiveness to an endocrine therapy approach.

The SNF2-like helicase HELLS mediates E2F3-dependent transcription and cellular transformation.

The activating E2F-transcription factors are best known for their dependence on the Retinoblastoma protein and their role in cellular proliferation. E2F3 is uniquely amplified in specific human tumours where its expression is inversely correlated with the survival of patients. Here, E2F3B interaction partners were identified by mass spectrometric analysis. We show that the SNF2-like helicase HELLS interacts with E2F3A in vivo and cooperates with its oncogenic functions. Depletion of HELLS severely perturbs the induction of E2F-target genes, hinders cell-cycle re-entry and growth. Using chromatin immmunoprecipitation coupled to sequencing, we identified genome-wide targets of HELLS and E2F3A/B. HELLS binds promoters of active genes, including the trithorax-related MLL1, and co-regulates E2F3-dependent genes. Strikingly, just as E2F3, HELLS is overexpressed in human tumours including prostate cancer, indicating that either factor may contribute to the malignant progression of tumours. Our work reveals that HELLS is important for E2F3 in tumour cell proliferation.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase-A is a new cell motility-promoting protein that increases the metastatic potential of tumor cells by two functional activities.

Cellular migration is an essential prerequisite for metastatic dissemination of cancer cells. This study demonstrates that the neuron/testis-specific F-actin-targeted inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase-A (ITPKA) is ectopically expressed in different human tumor cell lines and during tumor progression in the metastatic tumor model Balb-neuT. High expression of ITPKA increases invasive migration in vitro and metastasis in a xenograft SCID mouse model. Mechanistic studies show that ITPKA promotes migration of tumor cells by two different mechanisms as follows: growth factor independently high levels of ITPKA induce the formation of large cellular protrusions by directly modulating the actin cytoskeleton. The F-actin binding activity of ITPKA stabilizes and bundles actin filaments and thus increases the levels of cellular F-actin. In growth factor-stimulated cells, the catalytically active domain enhances basal ITPKA-induced migration by activating store-operated calcium entry through production of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate and subsequent inhibition of inositol phosphate 5-phosphatase. These two functional activities of ITPKA stimulating tumor cell migration place the enzyme among the potential targets of anti-metastatic therapy.