Dmp1α inhibits HER2/neu-induced mammary tumorigenesis

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 29;8(10):e77870. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077870. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Our recent study shows a pivotal role of Dmp1 in quenching hyperproliferative signals from HER2 to the Arf-p53 pathway as a safety mechanism to prevent breast carcinogenesis. To directly demonstrate the role of Dmp1 in preventing HER2/neu-driven oncogenic transformation, we established Flag-Dmp1α transgenic mice (MDTG) under the control of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter. The mice were viable but exhibited poorly developed mammary glands with markedly reduced milk production; thus more than half of parous females were unable to support the lives of new born pups. The mammary glands of the MDTG mice had very low Ki-67 expression but high levels of Arf, Ink4a, p53, and p21(Cip1), markers of senescence and accelerated aging. In all strains of generated MDTG;neu mice, tumor development was significantly delayed with decreased tumor weight. Tumors from MDTG;neu mice expressed Flag-Dmp1α and Ki-67 in a mutually exclusive fashion indicating that transgenic Dmp1α prevented tumor growth in vivo. Genomic DNA analyses showed that the Dmp1α transgene was partially lost in half of the MDTG;neu tumors, and Western blot analyses showed Dmp1α protein downregulation in 80% of the cases. Our data demonstrate critical roles of Dmp1 in preventing mammary tumorigenesis and raise the possibility of treating breast cancer by restoring Dmp1α expression.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology*
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / physiology*
  • Female
  • Gene Dosage
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / etiology
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / mortality
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / prevention & control*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / physiology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Dmp1 protein, mouse
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Erbb2 protein, mouse
  • Receptor, ErbB-2