Zhang Songbai, Miyakawa Ayako, Wickström Malin, Dyberg Cecilia, Louhivuori Lauri, Varas-Godoy Manuel, Kemppainen Kati, Kanatani Shigeaki, Kaczynska Dagmara, Ellström Ivar Dehnisch, Elfman Lotta, Kronqvist Pauliina, Repo Heli, Mikoshiba Katsuhiko, Sahlgren Cecilia, Johnsen John Inge, Uhlén Per
Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Nat Commun. 2022 Mar 22;13(1):1537. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28631-y.
Hyperactive Notch signalling is frequently observed in breast cancer and correlates with poor prognosis. However, relatively few mutations in the core Notch signalling pathway have been identified in breast cancer, suggesting that as yet unknown mechanisms increase Notch activity. Here we show that increased expression levels of GIT1 correlate with high relapse-free survival in oestrogen receptor-negative (ER(-)) breast cancer patients and that GIT1 mediates negative regulation of Notch. GIT1 knockdown in ER(-) breast tumour cells increased signalling downstream of Notch and activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase, a predictor of poor clinical outcome. GIT1 interacts with the Notch intracellular domain (ICD) and influences signalling by inhibiting the cytoplasm-to-nucleus transport of the Notch ICD. In xenograft experiments, overexpression of GIT1 in ER(-) cells prevented or reduced Notch-driven tumour formation. These results identify GIT1 as a modulator of Notch signalling and a guardian against breast cancer growth.
在乳腺癌中经常观察到Notch信号通路过度活跃,且与预后不良相关。然而,在乳腺癌中已鉴定出的核心Notch信号通路中的突变相对较少,这表明尚未明确的机制会增加Notch活性。在此,我们表明GIT1表达水平升高与雌激素受体阴性(ER(-))乳腺癌患者的高无复发生存率相关,并且GIT1介导对Notch的负调控。在ER(-)乳腺肿瘤细胞中敲低GIT1会增加Notch下游信号传导以及醛脱氢酶活性,而醛脱氢酶活性是临床预后不良的一个预测指标。GIT1与Notch细胞内结构域(ICD)相互作用,并通过抑制Notch ICD从细胞质到细胞核的转运来影响信号传导。在异种移植实验中,ER(-)细胞中GIT1的过表达可预防或减少Notch驱动的肿瘤形成。这些结果确定GIT1为Notch信号传导的调节因子以及乳腺癌生长的守护者。