Characterization of morphological and cytoskeletal changes in MCF10A breast epithelial cells plated on laminin-5: comparison with breast cancer cell line MCF7

The extracellular matrix regulates functional and morphological differentiation of mammary epithelial cells both in vivo and in culture. The MCF10A human breast epithelial cell line is ideal for studying these processes because it retains many characteristics of normal breast epithelium. We describe a distinct set of morphological changes occurring in MCF10A cells plated on laminin-5, a component of the breast gland basement membrane extracellular matrix. MCF10A cells adhere and spread on laminin-5 about five times more rapidly than on fibronectin or uncoated surfaces. Within 10 minutes from plating on laminin-5, they send out microfilament-rich filopodia and by 30 minutes acquire a cobblestone appearance with microfilaments distributed around the cell periphery. At 90 minutes, with or without serum, > 75% of the MCF10A cells plated on laminin-5 remain in this stationary cobblestone phenotype, while the remainder takes on a motile appearance. Even after 18 hours, when the culture is likely entering an exponential growth phase, the majority of cells maintain a stationary cobblestone appearance, though motile cells have proportionally increased. In contrast, the fully transformed, malignant human breast epithelial cells, MCF7, never acquire a stationary cobblestone appearance, do not organize peripheral microfilaments, and throughout the early time points up to 120 min appear to be constantly motile on laminin-5. We propose that changes in morphology and microfilament organization in response to laminin-5 may represent a benchmark for distinguishing normal vs. malignant behavior of epithelial cells derived from the mammary gland. This may lead to better model systems for studying the interactions between breast epithelium and the basement membrane extracellular matrix, which appear to be deregulated in processes like carcinogenesis and metastasis.     

A quantitative proteomics analysis of MCF7 breast cancer stem and progenitor cell populations

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that breast cancers are initiated and develop from a small population of stem‐like cells termed cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells are hypothesized to mediate tumor metastasis and contribute to therapeutic resistance. However, the molecular regulatory networks responsible for maintaining CSCs in an undifferentiated state have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we used CSC markers to isolate pure breast CSCs fractions (ALDH+ and CD44+CD24‐ cell populations) and the mature luminal cells (CD49f‐EpCAM+) from the MCF7 cell line. Proteomic analysis was performed on these samples and a total of 3304 proteins were identified. A label‐free quantitative method was applied to analyze differentially expressed proteins. Using the criteria of greater than twofold changes and p value <0.05, 305, 322 and 98 proteins were identified as significantly different in three pairwise comparisons of ALDH+ versus CD44+CD24‐, ALDH+ versus CD49f‐EpCAM+ and CD44+CD24‐ versus CD49f‐EpCAM+, respectively. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed proteins by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) revealed potential molecular regulatory networks that may regulate CSCs. Selected differential proteins were validated by Western blot assay and immunohistochemical staining. The use of proteomics analysis may increase our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of breast CSCs. This may be of importance in the future development of anti‐CSC therapeutics.     

Calcitonin binding and degradation by two cultured human breast cancer cell lines (MCF 7 and T 47D).

Two human breast cancer cell lines (MCF 7 and T 47D) possess calcitonin-responsive adenylate cyclase systems. Suspended cells of both lines specifically bound 125I-labelled salmon calcitonin with mean dissociation constants of 1.7 nM (MCF 7) and 1.4 nM (T 47D); mean receptor numbers were 5300 and 24400 per cell respectively. Measurement of specific binding to MCF 7 cells was obscured by rapid and substantial degradation of the labelled hormone. Degradation of 125I-labelled salmon calcitonin: (i) was of high capacity; (ii) lacked the specificity displayed by 125I-labelled salmon calcitonin binding to the same cells; and (iii) was not related to binding since cell incubation supernatants retained full degrading activity. The degrading activity was inhibited by corticotropin (1-24)-tetracosapeptide, insulin and bacitracin. Inclusion of bacitracin in the incubation resulted in apparently fewer numbers of lower affinity receptors on MCF 7 cells, whereas these parameters were identical to T 47D cells incubated in the presence or absence of bacitracin. Eel [2-aminosuberic acid 1,7]-calcitonin was resistant to proteolysis in the presence of either cell line. Analysis of hormone-receptor interactions with calcitonin-responsive cells should take account of potent calcitonin-degrading activities in some cell lines.     

Cis-retinol dehydrogenase: 9-cis-retinol metabolism and its effect on proliferation of human MCF7 breast cancer cells

9-Cis-retinoic acid (RA) suppresses cancer cell proliferation via binding and activation of nuclear receptors, retinoid X receptors (RXRs). In vivo, 9-cis-RA is formed through oxidation of 9-cis-retinol by cis-retinol dehydrogenase (cRDH), an enzyme that we characterized previously. Since 9-cis-RA is a potent inhibitor of breast cancer cell proliferation, we hypothesized that overexpression of cRDH in breast cancer cells would result in increased production of 9-cis-RA, which in turn would suppress cell proliferation. To investigate this hypothesis, MCF7 human breast carcinoma cells were transduced with cRDH cDNA (LRDHSN/MCF7), and the growth kinetics and retinoid profiles of cells were examined following treatment with 9-cis-retinol. LRDHSN/MCF7 cells showed a marked reduction in cell numbers (60-80%) upon treatment with 9-cis-retinol compared to vehicle alone. Within 24 h of treatment, approximately 75% of the 9-cis-retinol was taken up and metabolized by LRDHSN/MCF7 cells. Despite the rapid uptake and oxidation of 9-cis-retinol to 9-cis-retinal, 9-cis-RA was not formed in these cells. We detect at least one novel metabolite formed from both 9-cis-retinol and 9-cis-retinal that may play a role in inhibition of MCF7 cell proliferation. Our studies demonstrate that 9-cis-retinol in combination with cRDH inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation by production of retinol metabolites other than RA.     

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibitory effect on the growth of two human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, BT-20)

1,25 (OH)2 D3 has been shown to be able to reduce the growth of several human cell lines. The effect of 1,25 (OH)2 D3 on the growth of breast cancer cell lines in relation to their oestrogen (ER) and progesterone (PGR) receptor content has been investigated. The growth inhibition of BT-20 and MCF-7 cell lines is related to the dose of 1,25 (OH)2 D3. It is dependent on the foetal calf serum concentration in the culture medium. At low concentration of 1,25 (OH)2 D3 the inhibitory effect is not detectable in the presence of 10% FCS. The rescue of cells from inhibition by serum was less effective when 1,25 (OH)2 D3 was present in the medium. The results of [3H]thymidine incorporation experiments and DNA measurements are in agreement with the reduction of cell number. Analysis in flow cytometry indicated a reduced number of cells in S phase. These data indicate that 1,25 (OH)2 D3 is able to modulate the growth of human breast adenocarcinoma cells regardless of their sex steroid dependency.     

2D LC/MS analysis of membrane proteins from breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and BT474

Membrane proteins play a central role in the interaction of the cell with its environment and in the function of subcellular organelles. The current study focused on developing a better understanding of the membrane proteome of two well-characterized breast cancer cell lines. Membranes from osmotically lysed BT474 and MCF7 cells were treated with cyanogen bromide followed by a combination of trypsin and Staphylococcus V8 protease to obtain hydrophilic peptides from membrane proteins. The complex peptide mixtures obtained were separated by 2-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled online with a nano-electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometer (2D LC/nanoESI-MS). The strong cation exchange column used in the first dimension of the separation was eluted in an automated fashion using a series of salt steps of increasing concentration. Peptides eluted from each of the salt steps were separated using a capillary reversed-phase HPLC column, the output of which was directed through a nano-electrospray fused silica tip into the mass spectrometer. Peptides were fragmented by collision-induced dissociation (CID) and analyzed by data-dependent MS/MS followed by database searching using the Sequest algorithm. Analysis of the data revealed both similarities and expected differences between proteins identified from these cell lines. As demonstrated by others, mRNA and the HER2/neu protein tyrosine kinase-linked receptor in BT474 cells is up regulated compared to its level in MCF7, while the expression of the estrogen receptor alpha is known to be up regulated in MCF7 cells. As expected, our studies showed identification of peptides from HER2 in BT474 while estrogen receptor peptides were detected in the MCF7 line. A total of 604 proteins were identified from BT474 membranes while 313 proteins were found from MCF7. The results are discussed in terms of the known differences in both protein and mRNA expression between these two breast cancer cell lines and also in the context of other known phenotypic differences between these cells.     

Characterization of MCF 7 breast cancer cell growth inhibition by the antiestrogen nitromifene (CI 628) and selected metabolites

Besides undergoing O-demethylation in vivo, the triarylethylene antiestrogen nitromifene [1-(4-(2-pyrrolidinylethoxy)phenyl)-1-(4-methoxy)-phenyl-2-phenyl- 2- nitroethene, 1] undergoes biotransformation via nitroreduction, ethene bond cleavage, and pyrrolidine ring oxidation affording ketone metabolites 2 and 3 and a lactam metabolite 4. Estrogen receptor (ER) affinities of 1, 2, and 4 were, in turn, 1.7, 0.1, and 3.8% that of estradiol in MCF 7 human breast cancer cells, and these compounds inhibited by 50% the proliferation of MCF 7 cells at respective concentrations of 1.1, 5.6, and 2.0 microM. The inhibitory effect of 4 was fully reversible by estradiol, but that of 2 was only partially reversible. Also 3, which did not interact with ER, inhibited proliferation by 44% at a concentration of 10 microM. These results suggested that in contrast to 4, the effects of 2 and 3 were due in part to interaction with sites distinct from ER. Antiestrogen binding sites and calmodulin have been suggested to mediate antiproliferative effects of drugs. Interaction of ligands with the former sites has been proposed to antagonize the growth promoting effect of histamine. Although 2 and 3 had high affinities for these sites, their inhibitory effects on MCF 7 cell growth were largely unaffected by the presence of histidine, the source of intracellular histamine. Thus, the relationship between antiestrogen binding site affinity and antiproliferative effects of 2 and 3 was not clarified. In contrast, MCF 7 cell growth suppression potencies paralleled calmodulin antagonist potencies of 1 and 2 suggesting that interaction of 1 and 2 with calmodulin may contribute to their anticancer effects.     

A 250-kilodalton cellular protein is induced by progestins in two human breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and T47D

We have studied the effect of R5020, a synthetic progestin, on the biosynthesis of cellular proteins extracted from the MCF7 and T47D human breast cancer cells, using gel electrophoresis. R5020 stimulates the synthesis, as measured after [35S]-methionine labelling, and the accumulation, as shown by silver staining, of a protein of molecular weight approximately equal to 250,000. The increase of the labelled 250-kilodalton protein was rapid (3 hours) and after 3 days this protein represented approximately equal to 6% of the total cellular proteins (approximately equal to 1 microgram/150,000 cells). The induction of the 250-kilodalton protein was obtained by physiologically active concentrations of several progestins and high concentrations of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone but not by estradiol or dexamethasone. It was inhibited by R486 , a progestin antagonist, but not by flutamide, an androgen antagonist. These results indicate a mediation by the progesterone receptor. The 250-kilodalton protein appears to be an excellent probe to study in cell culture the mechanism of action of progestin on human cells.     

Bauhinia forficata lectin (BfL) induces cell death and inhibits integrin-mediated adhesion on MCF7 human breast cancer cells

Background

Plant lectins have attracted great interest in cancer studies due to their antitumor activities. These proteins or glycoproteins specifically and reversibly bind to different types of carbohydrates or glycoproteins. Breast cancer, which presents altered glycosylation of cell surface glycoproteins, is one of the most frequent malignant diseases in women. In this work, we describe the effect of the lectin Bauhinia forficata lectin (BfL), which was purified from B. forficata Link subsp. forficata seeds, on the MCF7 human breast cancer cellular line, investigating the mechanisms involved in its antiproliferative activity.

Methods

MCF7 cells were treated with BfL. Viability and adhesion alterations were evaluated using flow cytometry and western blotting.

Results

BfL inhibited the viability of the MCF7 cell line but was ineffective on MDA-MB-231 and MCF 10A cells. It inhibits MCF7 adhesion on laminin, collagen I and fibronectin, decreases α₁, α₆ and β₁ integrin subunit expression, and increases α₅ subunit expression. BfL triggers necrosis and secondary necrosis, with caspase-9 inhibition. It also causes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation, which leads to cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and a decrease in the expression of the regulatory proteins pRb and p21.

Conclusion

BfL shows selective cytotoxic effect and adhesion inhibition on MCF7 breast cancer cells.

General significance

Cell death induction and inhibition of cell adhesion may contribute to understanding the action of lectins in breast cancer.     

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 specifically binds to a human breast cancer cell line (T47D) and stimulates growth

The T47D human breast cancer cell line contains a specific binding protein for 1.25-(OH)₂D₃, with 15000 sites per cell. The Kd (1.1 × 10^?10 M) and sedimentation coefficient on sucrose gradients (3.7S) are the same as those reported for the 1,25-(OH)₂D₃ receptor in other tissues. Other vitamin D₃ metabolites bound to the receptor with an order of affinities 1,25-(OH)₂D₃ > 1,24,25-(OH)₃D₃ > 25-OHD₃ > 24,25-(OH)₂D₃ > D₃. A new analogue 1β,25-(OH)₂D₃ was only as effective as 24,25-(OH)₂D₃ at displacing the hormone from the receptor. Cell growth was stimulated in a dose dependent manner by the addition of 1,25-(OH)₂D₃ (up to 0.8 nM) to the medium. A higher concentration of hormone was without effect.     

Development and verification of a three-dimensional (3D) breast cancer tumor model composed of circulating tumor cell (CTC) subsets

Molecular Biology Reports - Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer types among women in which early tumor invasion leads to metastases and death. EpCAM (epithelial cellular adhesion...     

A progestin effect on lactate dehydrogenase in the human breast cancer cell line T-47D

The human breast cancer cell line T-47D has high levels of progesterone receptor even in the absence of exogenously added estrogen. Because of this it is a good line in which to study aspects of progestin action. It has been shown by others that lactate dehydrogenase in MCF-7 cells is responsive to estrogen but not to progesterone. Other proteins in other systems have been found to be responsive to both estrogen and progesterone, often requiring priming by estrogen, presumably to produce sufficiently high quantities of progesterone receptor. Reasoning that lactate dehydrogenase in T-47D cells might be stimulated by progestins alone at physiological levels since these cells already have high levels of progesterone receptor, we now report that this is indeed the case.     

Synthesis of 17beta-estradiol platinum(II) complexes: biological evaluation on breast cancer cell lines

The synthesis of a novel series of 17beta-estradiol-linked platinum(II) complexes is described. The new molecules are linked with an alkyl chain at position 16alpha of the steroid nucleus and bear a 16beta-hydroxymethyl side chain. They are made from estrone in five chemical steps with an overall yield exceeding 28%. The biological activity of these compounds was evaluated in vitro on estrogen dependent and independent (ER+ and ER-) human breast cancers. The derivatives incorporating a 2-(2'-aminoethyl)pyridine ligand displayed good activity against the cell lines particularly when the connecting arm is 10 carbon atoms long.     

微米阵列结构聚合物薄膜的制备及其对细胞三维培养的影响

二维 (Two-dimensional,2D) 细胞实验模型是目前研究人类疾病的细胞过程和药物筛选的主流方法。然而,生物细胞的生长受到众多因素的影响,传统的2D细胞培养在精确再现三维组织内细胞的功能方面存在一些障碍。与2D细胞培养相比,三维 (Three-dimensional,3D) 细胞培养体系注重细胞间的接触及细胞-基质间的接触,更接近于生物体的生长环境,更适合于药物筛选、细胞培植等研究。文中通过纳米压印技术制备了不同结构微米阵列聚合物薄膜,并将其应用于293T细胞的培养,通过调节薄膜表面结构、表面接触角成功实现了对生物细胞生长形貌的调控。利用扫描电镜等方法,对比了聚合物薄膜不同微结构、不同表面润湿性对细胞生长形貌的影响,重点关注细胞团的形态变化。结果表明,细胞在亲水性10 μm柱形阵列薄膜上呈现三维生长状态,这种薄膜可能更适用于制备生物细胞3D培养基;疏水性3 μm柱形阵列薄膜适用于体积小、表皮硬的组织细胞的3D培养,对于体积较大的细胞效果差。另外,对于疏水性较强的薄膜,细胞倾向于球状生长,而亲水性较强的薄膜则易贴壁生长。研究结果为微结构薄膜在生物细胞3D培养方面的应用作了初步探索。     

Partial purification and chemical characterization of macrophage cytotoxicity factor (MCF, MAF) and its separation from migration inhibitory factor (MIF)

Macrophage cytotoxicity factor (MCF) was purified in 3 consecutive steps including adsorption chromatography on Matrex Gel Red A, hydrophobic chromatography on phenylalanine-Sepharose, and isoelectric focusing. MCF was characterized as a protein with a m.w. of approximately 30,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 with 2 isoelectric points at 7.4 and 8.4 in the presence of urea. The unpurified supernatant was fairly stable provided that manipulations favoring adsorption to membrane materials used for dialysis or ultrafiltration were omitted. The partially purified preparation was highly unstable. Trypsin treatment did not affect MCF activity, whereas chymotrypsin destroyed it. Treatment with glycosidases and neuraminidase or cultivation of cells in the presence of 2-deoxy-D-glucose or tunicamycin did not impair the MCF activity. MCF was separated from migration inhibitory factor (MIF) by 2 methods: first, isoelectric focusing in the presence of urea, and second by gel filtration on Ultrogel. MCF could be separated from interferon by chromatography on poly(I)-Sepharose.     

Estrogenic effect of tamoxifen and its derivatives on the proliferation of MCF7 human breast tumor cells

Cloned human MCF-7 breast tumor cells were prevented from proliferating when grown in charcoal-dextran stripped human female serum (CDFHS)-supplemented media (40% and 10%); this inhibition was maximally cancelled by estradiol-17, cisTamoxifen, and Metabolite E, whereas Tamoxifen, N-desmethylTamoxifen and Metabolite Y only partially blocked the inhibitory effect of CDFHS. The efficiency of this reversing effect was estradiol-17 greater than Metabolite E greater than cisTAM greater than OHTAM greater than TAM = Metabolite Y. CDFHS at 2% allowed for near maximal cell yield; estradiol-17 at concentrations above 3 X 10(-10) M inhibited cell proliferation whereas at lower concentrations was ineffective. All the triphenylethylenes tested at 2% CDFHS were toxic above 3 X 10(-7) M; beyond these concentrations, these drugs did not significantly affect the cell yield. The proliferative properties of E2 and these triphenylethylenes do not directly correlate with their binding affinities to the intracellular estrophilins. Finally, the control of the proliferation of C7MCF7-173 cells appears to be affected by the interaction among a) estradiol-17 or the triphenylethylenes, b) a specific blood-borne inhibitor of the proliferation of estrogen-sensitive cells (estrocolyones), and c) an inhibitor "receptor"-like structure in these target cells.     

The effects of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) on T47D breast cancer cells enriched for IGFBP-3 binding sites

This study investigated the effects of cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8) on pancreatic juice flow and its contents, and on cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) levels in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats compared to healthy age-matched controls. Animals were rendered diabetic by a single injection of STZ (60 mg kg(-1), I.P.). Age-matched control rats obtained an equivalent volume of citrate buffer. Seven weeks later, animals were either anaesthetised (1 g kg(-1) urethane; IP) for the measurement of pancreatic juice flow or humanely killed and the pancreas isolated for the measurements of cytosolic Ca2+ and Mg2+ levels. Non-fasting blood glucose levels in control and diabetic rats were 92.40 +/- 2.42 mg dl(-1) (n = 44) and >500 mg dl(-1) (n = 27), respectively. Resting (basal) pancreatic juice flow in control and diabetic anaesthetised rats was 0.56 +/- 0.05 ul min(-1) (n = 10) and 1.28 +/- 0.16 ul min(-1) (n = 8). CCK-8 infusion resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in pancreatic juice flow in control animals compared to a much larger increase in diabetic rats. In contrast, CCK-8 evoked significant (p < 0.05) increases in protein output and amylase secretion in control rats compared to much reduced responses in diabetic animals. Basal [Ca2+]i in control and diabetic fura-2-loaded acinar cells was 109.40 +/- 15.41 nM (n = 15) and 130.62 +/- 17.66 nM (n = 8), respectively. CCK-8 (10(-8)M) induced a peak response of 436.55 +/- 36.54 nM (n = 15) and 409.31 +/- 34.64 nM (n = 8) in control and diabetic cells, respectively. Basal [Mg2+]i in control and diabetic magfura-2-loaded acinar cells was 0.96 +/- 0.06 nM (n = 18) and 0.86 +/- 0.04 nM (n = 10). In the presence of CCK-8 (10(-8)) [Mg2+]i in control and diabetic cells was 0.80 +/- 0.05 nM (n = 18) and 0.60 +/- 0.02 nM (n = 10), respectively. The results indicate that diabetes-induced pancreatic insufficiency may be associated with derangements in cellular Ca2+ and Mg2+ homeostasis.