Abstract
IntroductionTenascin-C (TNC) is a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein that shows prominent stromal expression in many solid tumours. The profile of isoforms expressed differs between cancers and normal breast, with the two additional domains AD1 and AD2 considered to be tumour associated. The aim of the present study was to investigate expression of AD1 and AD2 in normal, benign and malignant breast tissue to determine their relationship with tumour characteristics and to perform in vitro functional assays to investigate the role of AD1 in tumour cell invasion and growth.MethodsExpression of AD1 and AD2 was related to hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 as a housekeeping gene in breast tissue using quantitative RT-PCR, and the results were related to clinicopathological features of the tumours. Constructs overexpressing an AD1-containing isoform (TNC-14/AD1/16) were transiently transfected into breast carcinoma cell lines (MCF-7, T-47 D, ZR-75-1, MDA-MB-231 and GI-101) to assess the effect in vitro on invasion and growth. Statistical analysis was performed using a nonparametric Mann-Whitney test for comparison of clinicopathological features with levels of TNC expression and using Jonckheere-Terpstra trend analysis for association of expression with tumour grade.ResultsQuantitative RT-PCR detected AD1 and AD2 mRNA expression in 34.9% and 23.1% of 134 invasive breast carcinomas, respectively. AD1 mRNA was localised by in situ hybridisation to tumour epithelial cells, and more predominantly to myoepithelium around associated normal breast ducts. Although not tumour specific, AD1 and AD2 expression was significantly more frequent in carcinomas in younger women (age ≤40 years; P < 0.001) and AD1 expression was also associated with oestrogen receptor-negative and grade 3 tumours (P < 0.05). AD1 was found to be incorporated into a tumour-specific isoform, not detected in normal tissues. Overexpression of the TNC-14/AD1/16 isoform significantly enhanced tumour cell invasion (P < 0.01) and growth (P < 0.01) over base levels.ConclusionsTogether these data suggest a highly significant association between AD-containing TNC isoforms and breast cancers in younger women (age ≤40 years), which may have important functional significance in vivo.
Highlights
Tenascin-C (TNC) is a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein that shows prominent stromal expression in many solid tumours
Expression of TNC-AD1 and TNC-AD2 in breast cell lines and isolated cell populations Nine breast cell lines and isolated normal breast myoepithelial cells and fibroblast cells were screened for expression of TNC 17/18, AD1 and AD2 by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
The present study has shown that expression of only one AD1-containing variant (TNC-14/AD1/15/ 16) was cancer specific, but higher mRNA levels of all AD1 and AD2 variants were associated with high-grade, oestrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancers, and cancers arising in younger women
Summary
Tenascin-C (TNC) is a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein that shows prominent stromal expression in many solid tumours. The profile of isoforms expressed differs between cancers and normal breast, with the two additional domains AD1 and AD2 considered to be tumour associated. TNC promotes angiogenesis [11] and can induce expression of matrix metalloproteinases [12], which themselves have been implicated in promoting tumour growth and invasion [13]. A number of biologically active sites have been mapped to the fibronectin type III repeat domain, including recognition sites for cell surface receptors such as integrins [15], cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily [16], and annexin II [17] as well as sites susceptible to proteolytic cleavage by matrix metalloproteinases [18]. Inclusion or exclusion of different domains in this region can generate considerable functional diversity, and up to 22 human splice variants have been identified by RT-PCR analysis [19]
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