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1 Molecular Endocrinology, Breakthrough Breast Cancer Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Fulham Rd, London SW3 6JB, UK
2 Breast Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Rd, London SW3 6JJ, UK
3 Department of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
4 Academic Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Rd, London, SW3 6JJ, UK
(Requests for offprints should be addressed to Lesley-Anne Martin; Email: lesley-ann.martin{at}icr.ac.uk)
This paper was presented at the 1st Tenovus/AstraZeneca Workshop, Cardiff (2005). AstraZeneca has supported the publication of these proceedings.
| Abstract |
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phosphorylated on Ser118 and ERK1/ERK2. Our data suggest elevated ERK1/ERK2 activity results wholly or in part from enhanced ERBB2 expression in the LTED cells. These cells showed greater sensitivity to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor ZD1839 in both ER
-mediated transcription and growth assays compared with the wt-MCF7. Similarly the MEK inhibitor U0126 decreased basal ER
-mediated transcription and proliferation in the LTED cells by 50% and reduced their sensitivity to the proliferative effects of E2 10-fold, whilst having no effect on the wild type (wt). However, complete suppression of ERK1/ERK2 activity in the LTED cells did not inhibit ER
Ser118 phosphorylation suggesting that the cells remained ligand-dependent. This was further confirmed by the increased sensitivity of the LTED cells to the growth suppressive effects of ICI 182,780 and suggested that the LTED cells remained wholly or partially dependent on oestrogen receptor (ER)/oestrogen responsive elements directed growth. These findings suggest that treatments targeted at growth factor signalling pathways may be useful in patients acquiring resistance to oestrogen deprivation with aromatase inhibitors and that the pure anti-oestrogen ICI 182,780 may also be effective by blocking or destabilizing ER and hence disrupting cross-talk.
| Introduction |
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In an attempt to elucidate these mechanisms, our laboratory and others have developed in vitro models to study the molecular changes associated with longterm oestrogen deprivation (LTED) (Masamura et al. 1995, Coutts & Murphy 1998, Chan et al. 2002). In the following manuscript we review the current findings and compare these with our own and propose the various treatment regimes that may be on offer for patients who have relapsed with acquired resistance to LTED.
| LTED cell lines are hypersensitive to E2 and remain sensitive to the pure anti-oestrogen ICI 182,780 |
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Further analysis of our LTED cell line showed a marked elevation in ER
which was phosphorylated on serine 118 (Ser118) in the absence of E2. Assessment of the basal ER/ERE activity showed a 10-fold elevation compared with the wt MCF-7 (Fig. 1B
). Treatment of both cell lines with increasing doses of E2 revealed a dose-dependent elevation in ER-mediated transcription. However, as the LTED cells have a higher level of basal transcription we believe that they show a marked degree of hypersensitivity to E2. This is particularly evident at 1013M E2 where the LTED cells transcription is approximately 10-fold higher than the wt MCF-7 cells in absolute terms (Fig. 1C
).
Treatment of the LTED cell line with escalating doses of the pure anti-oestrogen ICI 182,780 showed a marked dose dependent sensitivity similar in profile to the wt MCF-7 cells in the presence of E2 (Fig. 2A
). This was reciprocated in ER/ERE reporter assays where LTED cells showed a marked sensitivity to ICI 182,780 whilst the wt cell line remained unaffected in the absence of ligand (Fig. 2B
). As studies have suggested that ICI 182,780 may impact directly on growth factor pathways independent of ER (Huynh et al. 1996, Salerno et al. 1999, Chan et al. 2001) we postulated that if this were the case addition of E2 would be unable to overcome the inhibitory effects of ICI 182,780. However, treatment of the LTED cells with a standard inhibitory dose of ICI 182,780 and increasing doses of E2 was able to rescue the cells, negating the possibility that ICI 182,780 was directly inhibiting growth factor pathways (Fig. 2C
). Taken together these data suggested that the LTED cells use a classical ER/ERE directed process either wholly or partially in their adaptive process.
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| Role of ERK1/ERK2 in the LTED phenotype |
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ER
, is functionally regulated via phosphorylation by several protein kinases (reviewed by Ali & Coombes 2002). Phosphorylation of Ser118 is mediated by cdk7 in response to E2 and is also phosphorylated by pERK1/ERK2 in a ligand-independent manner (Bunone et al. 1996, Chen et al. 2000). Serine 167 (Ser167) on the other hand is the target for AKT and p90RSK, which is activated by pERK1/ERK2. Hence increased ERK1/ERK2 activity could result in endocrine resistance. Analysis of our LTED cell line showed an increase in both activated ERK1/ERK2 (Coutts & Murphy 1998, Jeng et al. 2000) and pp90RSK (Martin et al. 2003) coinciding with the onset of hypersensitivity (Fig. 3A
). We postulated that ERK1/ERK2 was playing an integral role in the adaptation of the LTED cells. To test this we cultured the wt MCF-7 and LTED cells in the presence of escalating doses of the MEK 1/2 inhibitor UO126. Whilst the wt cells were largely unaffected the proliferation and ER/ERE directed transcription within the LTED cells was reduced (Figs 3B & C
).
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transactivation in the LTED (Martin et al. 2003). The findings suggest that the enhanced activity of the MAP kinase pathway only partially explains the hypersensitivity to E2 and that the AKT pathway is not significantly involved; other pathways such as the mToR pathway are being investigated to identify the additional source of resistance. | Increased ERBB2 is associated with the LTED phenotype |
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Ser118, this was unassociated with an increase in pERK1/pERK2 activity (Joel et al. 1998, Lobenhofer & Marks 2000, Lobenhofer et al. 2000, Martin et al. 2003). This apparent discrepancy is likely to be a result of variations in cell lines and also experimental conditions.
Further analysis of our own LTED cells revealed an elevation in ERBB2 activity (Fig. 4A
). Previous studies have shown that elevated levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ERBB2 are associated with tamoxifen resistant MCF-7 cells and that these cells are more sensitive to the anti-proliferative effects of ZD1839 compared with wt MCF-7 cells (Nicholson et al. 2001, Knowlden et al. 2003). Treatment of the LTED cells with ZD1839 also revealed enhanced sensitivity compared with the wt MCF-7 both in proliferation and ERE reporter assays. LTED cells had an IC50 of approximately 5 µM in keeping with an ERBB2-dependent rather than EGFR-dependent effect (Fig. 4B & C
). Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) analysis indicated that ERBB2 was not amplified in the LTED cells suggesting the up-regulation maybe via a transcriptional mechanism. Taken together these data suggest that elevations in ERBB2 may be wholly or partially responsible for increased pERK1/ERK2 activity in this setting. Further work using molecular or pharmacological antagonists of ERBB2 are needed to reveal the degree of involvement. It is notable that IGF-1R levels are 23-fold enhanced over wt levels in the LTED cells (L-A Martin, S Pancholi, SRD Johnston & M Dowsett, unpublished observations) and this may interact with the increased signalling seen from ERBB2.
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pERK1/ERK2 does not play a role in the phosphorylation of ER Ser118
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Ser118. Although our study suggested that the LTED cells remained ligand-dependent it was impossible to ignore the fact that both pERK1/2 and ER
Ser118 were elevated in the LTED phenotype. To eliminate pERK1/ERK2 in the activation of ER
Ser118 we treated both wt and LTED cells with the MEK inhibitor UO126 ± E2 (Fig. 5
Ser118 adding further evidence to the ligand dependent nature of the LTED cell line. Taken together these data suggested that a complex interplay between the two signaling pathways was responsible for the LTED phenotype. We postulate that although ERK1/ERK2 is not responsible for direct phosphorylation of the ER, that it plays a pivotal role by activating the transcription machinery leading to phosphorylation of co-activators of the p160 family such as amplified in breast 1 (AIB1) (Font de Mora & Brown 2000) whilst downstream partners such as p90RSK can phosphorylate and enhance the activity of CREB binding protein (CBP) (Nakajima et al. 1996) together with other factors associated with the basal transcription machinery. These findings may account for the elevated basal transcription in the LTED cell line.
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| Targets for therapeutic intervention |
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Although we have shown that elevation in ERK1/2 activity (possibly via elevated ERBB2 expression) plays an integral role in the development of the LTED phenotype and sensitisation of these cells to residual E2, it is not responsible for the phosphorylation of ER
Ser118. We postulate an adaptive pathway similar to that shown in Fig. 6
in which the development of the LTED phenotype results from elevated levels of ER coupled with enhanced activation of the ER as a result of increased ERBB2 expression and pERK1/ERK2 activity. pERK1/ERK2 may be involved in ER activation (on sites other than Ser118) and regulation of down-stream partners such as p90RSK and AIB1 could lead to increased coactivator activity providing a hypersensitive reception to residual E2.
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