Open AccessMerlin deficiency alters the redox management program in breast cancer
Author(s) -
Mota Mateus,
Metge Brandon J.,
Hinshaw Dominique C.,
Alsheikh Heba A.,
Chen Dongquan,
Samant Rajeev S.,
Shevde Lalita A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.332
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1878-0261
pISSN - 1574-7891
DOI - 10.1002/1878-0261.12896
Subject(s) - merlin (protein) , cancer research , biology , carcinogenesis , tumor progression , breast cancer , mammary tumor , transcription factor , cancer , microbiology and biotechnology , suppressor , gene , genetics
The expression of Merlin tumor suppressor protein encoded by Neurofibromin 2 ( NF2 ) gene is remarkably decreased in metastatic breast cancer tissues. In order to recapitulate clinical evidence, we generated a unique, conditional Nf2 ‐knockout ( Nf2 −/− ) mouse mammary tumor model. Merlin‐deficient breast tumor cells and Nf2 −/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) displayed a robustly invasive phenotype. Moreover, Nf2 −/− MEFs presented with notable alterations in redox management networks, implicating a role for Merlin in redox homeostasis. This programmatic alteration resonated with pathways that emerged from breast tumor cells engineered for Merlin deficiency. Further investigations revealed that NF2 ‐silenced cells supported reduced activity of the Nuclear factor, erythroid 2 like 2 antioxidant transcription factor, concomitant with elevated expression of NADPH oxidase enzymes. Importantly, mammary‐specific Nf2 −/− in an Mouse mammary tumor virus Neu + murine breast cancer model demonstrated accelerated mammary carcinogenesis in vivo . Tumor‐derived primary organoids and cell lines were characteristically invasive with evidence of a dysregulated cellular redox management system. As such, Merlin deficiency programmatically influences redox imbalance that orchestrates malignant attributes of mammary/breast cancer.