CUL1 promotes breast cancer metastasis through regulating EZH2-induced the autocrine expression of the cytokines CXCL8 and IL11

Cell Death Dis. 2018 Dec 18;10(1):2. doi: 10.1038/s41419-018-1258-6.

Abstract

CUL1 is an essential component of SCF (SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Our previous study has showed that CUL1 is positively associated with poor overall and disease-specific survival of breast cancer patients. Here, we further explored its roles in breast cancer metastasis. Our data showed that CUL1 significantly promoted breast cancer cell migration, invasion, tube formation in vitro, as well as angiogenesis and metastasis in vivo. In mechanism, the human gene expression profiling was used to determine global transcriptional changes in MDA-MB-231 cells, and we identified autocrine expression of the cytokines CXCL8 and IL11 as the target genes of CUL1 in breast cancer cell migration, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. CUL1 regulated EZH2 expression to promote the production of cytokines, and finally significantly aggravating the breast cancer cell metastasis and angiogenesis through the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. Combined with the previous report about CUL1, we proposed that CUL1 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for breast cancer metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autocrine Communication*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cullin Proteins / genetics
  • Cullin Proteins / metabolism*
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / genetics
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-11 / biosynthesis*
  • Interleukin-11 / genetics
  • Interleukin-8 / biosynthesis*
  • Interleukin-8 / genetics
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • CXCL8 protein, human
  • Cullin 1
  • Cullin Proteins
  • IL11 protein, human
  • Interleukin-11
  • Interleukin-8
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • EZH2 protein, human
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein