Kruppel-like factor 5 is not required for K-RasG12D lung tumorigenesis, but represses ABCG2 expression and is associated with better disease-specific survival

Am J Pathol. 2010 Sep;177(3):1503-13. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090651. Epub 2010 Jul 16.

Abstract

K-RAS mutations are found in approximately 30% of lung cancers. The transcription factor Krüppel-like Factor 5 (KLF5) has been shown to mediate cellular transformation signaling events downstream of oncogenic RAS in other cancers, but a role for KLF5 in lung tumorigenesis has not been defined. We show here that knockdown of KLF5 expression significantly decreased anchorage-independent growth, but did not affect proliferation of human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Moreover, Klf5 is not required for lung tumor formation in an inducible oncogenic K-Ras(G12D) mouse model of lung tumorigenesis, and non-small cell lung cancer patients expressing high levels of KLF5 (21/258) have a significantly better disease-specific survival than those with intermediate to no KLF5 expression. Further, KLF5 knockdown in K-RAS-mutant human lung cancer cells resulted in a fivefold increase in ATP-binding cassette, subfamily G (WHITE), member 2 (ABCG2), an anthracycline drug transporter, which lead to significantly increased resistance to doxorubicin treatment, a chemotherapeutic agent clinically used to treat lung cancer. In summary, while KLF5 is not required for oncogenic mutant K-Ras-induced lung tumorigenesis, KLF5 regulation of ABCG2 expression may be important for chemotherapeutic resistance and patient survival.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / genetics
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / metabolism*
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tissue Array Analysis
  • ras Proteins / genetics
  • ras Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • ABCG2 protein, human
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters
  • KLF5 protein, human
  • KRAS protein, human
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • ras Proteins