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Supplementary Figure 4 from Taxol Induces Brk-dependent Prosurvival Phenotypes in TNBC Cells through an AhR/GR/HIF–driven Signaling Axis

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posted on 2023-04-03, 16:22 authored by Tarah M. Regan Anderson, Shihong Ma, Carlos Perez Kerkvliet, Yan Peng, Taylor M. Helle, Raisa I. Krutilina, Ganesh V. Raj, John A. Cidlowski, Julie H. Ostrander, Kathryn L. Schwertfeger, Tiffany N. Seagroves, Carol A. Lange

Western blot of MDA-MB-231 parental or HIF DKO cells demonstrating loss of regulation of PELP1 expression in response to taxol treatment in cells with HIF double-knockout.

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ARTICLE ABSTRACT

The metastatic cascade is a complex process that requires cancer cells to survive despite conditions of high physiologic stress. Previously, cooperation between the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF) was reported as a point of convergence for host and cellular stress signaling. These studies indicated p38 MAPK-dependent phosphorylation of GR on Ser134 and subsequent p-GR/HIF–dependent induction of breast tumor kinase (PTK6/Brk), as a mediator of aggressive cancer phenotypes. Herein, p-Ser134 GR was quantified in human primary breast tumors (n = 281) and the levels of p-GR were increased in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) relative to luminal breast cancer. Brk was robustly induced following exposure of TNBC model systems to chemotherapeutic agents (Taxol or 5-fluorouracil) and growth in suspension [ultra-low attachment (ULA)]. Notably, both Taxol and ULA resulted in upregulation of the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a known mediator of cancer prosurvival phenotypes. Mechanistically, AhR and GR copurified and following chemotherapy and ULA, these factors assembled at the Brk promoter and induced Brk expression in an HIF-dependent manner. Furthermore, Brk expression was upregulated in Taxol-resistant breast cancer (MCF-7) models. Ultimately, Brk was critical for TNBC cell proliferation and survival during Taxol treatment and in the context of ULA as well as for basal cancer cell migration, acquired biological phenotypes that enable cancer cells to successfully complete the metastatic cascade. These studies nominate AhR as a p-GR binding partner and reveal ways to target epigenetic events such as adaptive and stress-induced acquisition of cancer skill sets required for metastatic cancer spread.Implication: Breast cancer cells enlist intracellular stress response pathways that evade chemotherapy by increasing cancer cell survival and promoting migratory phenotypes. Mol Cancer Res; 16(11); 1761–72. ©2018 AACR.