Citation
- Authors: King, J. L., Zhang, B., Li, Y., Li, K. P., Ni, J. J., Saavedra, H. I., Dong, J. T.
- Year: 2018
- Journal: Oncogenesis 7 69
- Applications: in vitro / mimic miRNA, siRNA / jetPRIME
- Cell types:
- Name: hs 578T
Description: Human breast cancer cell line. - Name: MCF 10A
Description: Human breast adenocarcinoma cells
Known as: MCF10A, MCF 10A - Name: MDA-MB-231
Description: Human breast adenocarcinoma cells
Known as: MDAMB231
- Name: hs 578T
Abstract
Abnormal expression of TTK kinase has been associated with the initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance of breast and other cancers, but its roles remain to be clarified. In this study, we examined the role of TTK in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and found that higher TTK expression correlated with mesenchymal and proliferative phenotypes in TNBC cells. Pharmacologic inhibition and genomic silencing of TTK not only reversed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in TNBC cells, but also increased the expression of KLF5, an effector of TGF-beta signaling and inhibitor of EMT. In addition, TTK inhibition decreased the expression of EMT-associated micro-RNA miR-21 but increased the expression of miR-200 family members and suppressed TGF-beta signaling. To test if upregulation of KLF5 plays a role in TTK-induced EMT, TTK and KLF5 were silenced simultaneously, which reversed the decreased EMT caused by loss of TTK. Consistently, the decrease in miR-21 expression and increase in miR-200 expression caused by TTK silencing were rescued by loss of KLF5. Altogether, this study highlights a novel role and signaling pathway for TTK in regulating EMT of TN breast cancer cells through TGF-beta and KLF5 signaling, highlighting targetable signaling pathways for TTK inhibitors in aggressive breast cancer.