Molecular Biology and Genetics / Moleküler Biyoloji ve Genetik

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/9

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  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 156
    Citation - Scopus: 163
    Progesterone/Rankl Is a Major Regulatory Axis in the Human Breast
    (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2013) Tanos, Tamara; Sflomos, George; Echeverria, Pablo C.; Ayyanan, Ayyakkannu; Gutierrez, Maria; Delaloye, Jean-Francois; Raffoul, Wassim; Fiche, Maryse; Dougall, William; Schneider, Pascal; Yalçın Özuysal, Özden; Brisken, Cathrin
    Estrogens and progesterones are major drivers of breast development but also promote carcinogenesis in this organ. Yet, their respective roles and the mechanisms underlying their action in the human breast are unclear. Receptor activator of nuclear factor kB ligand (RANKL) has been identified as a pivotal paracrine mediator of progesterone function in mouse mammary gland development and mammary carcinogenesis. Whether the factor has the same role in humans is of clinical interest because an inhibitor for RANKL, denosumab, is already used for the treatment of bone disease and might benefit breast cancer patients. We show that progesterone receptor (PR) signaling failed to induce RANKL in PR + breast cancer cell lines and in dissociated, cultured breast epithelial cells. In clinical specimens from healthy donors and intact breast tissue microstructures, hormone response was maintained and RANKL expression was under progesterone control, which increased RNA stability. RANKL was sufficient to trigger cell proliferation and was required for progesterone-induced proliferation. The findings were validated in vivo where RANKL protein expression in the breast epithelium correlated with serum progesterone levels and the protein was expressed in a subset of luminal cells that express PR. Thus, important hormonal control mechanisms are conserved across species, making RANKL a potential target in breast cancer treatment and prevention. Copyright 2013 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science; all rights reserved.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 133
    Citation - Scopus: 138
    Antagonistic Roles of Notch and P63 in Controlling Mammary Epithelial Cell Fates
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2010) Yalçın Özuysal, Özden; Fiche, M.; Guitierrez, M.; Wagner, K. U.; Raffoul, W.; Brisken, C.
    The breast epithelium has two major compartments, luminal and basal cells, that are established and maintained by poorly understood mechanisms. The p53 homolog, p63, is required for the formation of mammary buds, but its function in the breast after birth is unknown. We show that in primary human breast epithelial cells, maintenance of basal cell characteristics depends on continued expression of the p63 isoform, ΔNp63, which is expressed in the basal compartment. Forced expression of ΔNp63 in purified luminal cells confers a basal phenotype. Notch signaling downmodulates ΔNp63 expression and mimics ΔNp63 depletion, whereas forced expression of ΔNp63 partially counteracts the effects of Notch. Consistent with Notch activation specifying luminal cell fate in the mammary gland, Notch signaling activity is specifically detected in mice at sites of pubertal ductal morphogenesis where luminal cell fate is determined. Basal cells in which Notch signaling is active show decreased p63 expression. Both constitutive expression of ΔNp63 and ablation of Notch signaling are incompatible with luminal cell fate. Thus, the balance between basal and luminal cell compartments of the breast is regulated by antagonistic functions of ΔNp63 and Notch. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.